


christmas lights keep shining on (maybe they'll bring him back to me)

by blackrose1002, BlackVultures



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blood, Bondage, Butt Plugs, Choking, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Consensual Somnophilia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Established Relationship, F/M, Fist Fights, Gentle Sex, Gun Violence, Kissing, Light Angst, Loneliness, Love, M/M, Misery, Naked Cuddling, Reunions, Rough Sex, Santa Kink, Scars, Somnophilia, Spanking, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:15:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28173036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose1002/pseuds/blackrose1002, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackVultures/pseuds/BlackVultures
Summary: Mac's hands tightened around the wheel and he sighed. "It's just... I was thinking about Jack," he said, because when was he not? He hardly brought up his boyfriend anymore around the team, and even his conversations with Riley had dried up over the past two years. He could tell his dad was startled by the topic, but he plowed ahead anyway. "He loves this time of year. Mostly because it gives him another excuse to watch Die Hard.""Like he needs an excuse to watch it," James pointed out, and Mac smiled a little, but it was mostly a reflex since he didn't really feel like laughing or being happy in general. "I'm sorry, son. I know missing him sucks, but it must be even harder around Christmas."(Lonely and miserable, Mac does his best to get through his third Christmas without Jack... but it's getting harder every year)
Relationships: Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), James MacGyver/Matilda "Matty" Webber, Riley Davis/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Russ Taylor/Original Male Character
Comments: 44
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Merry Christmas! With the holidays just around the corner, we figured it's about time we wrote a Christmas fic, so here we are! I know you're all waiting for the last two chapters of _surrender to your darkest dreams (let your fantasies unwind)_ and I promise they're coming, but because of the timing I wanted to get this fic out to you first :)
> 
> I'll update the tags along the way, so I guess there's nothing else left to say other than I hope you like the fic ♥
> 
> Title is from the song "Christmas Lights" by Coldplay.
> 
> Enjoy, and once again, Merry Christmas!
> 
> K.

Angus MacGyver was known for many things - his tendency to blow things up, his love for destroying the phones belonging to the members of his team, his inability to cook even the simplest meal, and many more. One of those things, however, was not doing things by halves since Mac had always been a firm believer of the rule 'go big or go home'. So when it came to getting a real Christmas tree... you could bet Mac was going to do research and pick the largest, the greenest, and generally the hugest tree he could find.

He went to the same tree farm every year, about three hours north of LA, because they grew the trees right there instead of trucking them in from other states. The drive was scenic and he never minded it, especially when he had some company. This year it was his dad, and that would have been unusual except they both had almost died at the hands of Codex, which had served as a reset button for their relationship.

"You've been quiet," James said an hour into drive, startling Mac a little. It made him realize he hadn't said anything in a while and he instantly felt bad for making his dad just sit in the passenger seat, probably bored to death. "What's on your mind, Angus?"

Mac's hands tightened around the wheel and he sighed. "It's just... I was thinking about Jack," he said, because when was he not? He hardly brought up his boyfriend anymore around the team, and even his conversations with Riley had dried up over the past two years. He could tell his dad was startled by the topic, but he plowed ahead anyway. "He loves this time of year. Mostly because it gives him another excuse to watch Die Hard."

"Like he needs an excuse to watch it," James pointed out, and Mac smiled a little, but it was mostly a reflex since he didn't really feel like laughing or being happy in general. "I'm sorry, son. I know missing him sucks, but it must be even harder around Christmas."

"Yeah," Mac whispered, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "He's the reason we're driving so far to get that damn tree, you know? Because _Mac, dude, it ain't Christmas without a real, huge ass tree, come on_ ," he did his best imitation of Jack's voice, but it wasn't so great since he was barely stopping himself from tearing up. "So here I am, making sure he gets his tree. Even if he's not here."

James hesitated for a second before he reached out, putting his hand on Mac's arm. It was covered by his plaid shirt, but they both knew what was underneath it. "That's... really sweet, Angus," he said, and Mac could tell he meant it. "After Ellen died, I kept buying flowers every year on our anniversary and her birthday. I realize it's not the same thing, but... I still do it. She always loved her lilies and sunflowers."

"I remember," Mac said softly, but then his blood went cold. "Jack's not dead, though. He's not, I refuse to-"

"Hey, hey, I know that," James interjected, squeezing his arm lightly. "I didn't mean to imply that by comparing him to your mom. I swear."

"Yeah, I... I know that." Mac took another deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just... I want him to come home already."

"I think we all want that," James said, giving his arm one last squeeze before he let go. "You more than most, but I've seen Riley wearing his shirts, and sometimes in the middle of the night I'll catch Matty reading old mission dossiers."

"I knew about Riley, but... really? With Matty and the dossiers?" When James nodded, Mac smiled a little. "That does sound like her."

"He's one of her oldest friends and you know it's not easy to make friends in our line of work," James said. "It's even harder at CIA where usually everyone is trying to stab you in the back. She misses him, and while it's not obvious to everyone... I can tell."

"I wish we knew what's going on with the mission." Mac sighed. "I... I tried to find out, but I hit a wall."

"So did I," James admitted, and Mac was surprised both that his father had tried to find Jack and that he had run into the same problem. "I even asked Taylor if he could look into it through some of his MI6 contacts, but he got blocked too."

"If Russ couldn't find anything out, that's not... it doesn't seem good," Mac observed, changing lanes so he could get off the highway. "But... thanks for trying."

"Of course," James said softly. "But it doesn't necessarily have to mean it's bad. Jack's team is probably on radio silence to avoid any leaks... and any information about the mission is kept top secret for the very same reason. The last thing anyone needs is Kovacs someone getting his hands on it."

Mac shivered at the thought, knowing exactly what Kovacs was capable of thanks to reading every piece of information he could find about the man. "Good point." He stopped at the bottom of the off-ramp and put on his signal, remembering all the times he had sat here with Jack in the GTO. "I just wish... never mind."

"What is it?" James asked softly, and Mac swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He focused on driving, but he knew his dad wouldn't let it go and he was proven right a moment later when James tried again, "Angus?"

Mac sighed again. "I wish... he had taken me with him," he whispered. "I know why he didn't, we'd talked about it for hours before he left, but... I should've fought him. I should be with him, right now, watching his back."

James thought about that as they drove through a pleasant little town, passing the diner where they would probably get lunch on their way back. "I understand why you feel that way," he said, clearly choosing his words carefully. "But I also understand Jack's position. He didn't want you near Kovacs, but more than that... he wasn't wrong when he said the world needed you."

Mac shook his head and the sound he made in protest was dangerously close to a sob. "Here's the thing, though," he said quietly. "I don't give a damn about the world without Jack, he... he is all that matters." He had never shared so many of his feelings with his dad before, but now that he had started, he couldn't stop. "If anything happens to him, it'll be my fault."

"Okay, no," James protested, waiting until they pulled into a parking spot at the tree farm before he tugged at Mac's jacket - which used to be Jack's. "Look at me, Angus, and listen. Nothing that happens to Dalton is your fault, because even if you were with him, there isn't a guarantee that you'd be able to stop whatever it was. And as much as I appreciate the fact that you love him so much, I can't stand to hear you talk that way about yourself."

Logically Mac knew his dad was right, but anything concerning Jack had always been processed by Mac's heart and not his brain. The emotional side of him always won when it came to his boyfriend, so he couldn't really believe what James was saying - but just for the sake of the conversation, he nodded, hoping his dad didn't push.

James looked at him knowingly but thankfully he decided not to keep up this line of conversation. "Let's go get that tree, huh? And maybe I can pick up a wreath for Matty's place."

"You're still calling it Matty's place even though you've lived there for how long now?" Mac got out of the truck and raised an eyebrow at James when he joined him in the crisp December air. It was always colder up in this part of the state and Mac enjoyed the chill. "Matty isn't _that_ territorial, I'm sure she wouldn't mind you calling it _your_ place."

"Shut up," James said, rolling his eyes. "Between you and me, I still expect her to kick me out, you know?"

"Why, did you set something she liked on fire?" Mac teased, and laughed when he saw the look on his dad's face. "Oh my god, you totally did. What did you blow up?"

James was quiet for a moment as they started walking through rows of beautiful pine trees. "I... might have blown up her car. While it was sitting in the driveway."

"Do I even want to know how that happened?" When James just glared at him Mac laughed again. "Okay, jeez. It's not like I haven't done anything like that before."

"That's true," James agreed. "Something my tool shed remembers very vividly. Or rather what's left of it."

"Hey," Mac protested. "I told you, that was an accident!"

"Mhmm, right," James muttered under his breath. "Sure it was, son. So," he said a little louder, clapping his hands and glancing around. "What are we looking for?"

"The most beautiful tree you can find," Mac said, smiling a little softly when he remembered what Jack had told him years ago. "One that makes you think 'this is it' the second you see it."

"I'd appreciate specifics, but okay," James muttered, dutifully going from tree to tree to inspect them. "Any size constraints?"

"As long as it fits through the door, I don't care how big it is," Mac replied, rubbing the needles on a branch between his fingers. "You know I've got the ornaments to cover it."

"That's true," James said, and since the trees in that aisle didn't satisfy them, they moved into the next one. "Jack brought some when he moved in, right?"

"Oh yes," Mac replied, smiling softly again. "I make sure to use all of them every year." The smile disappeared from his face a moment later when he remembered this was going to be the third Christmas he had to decorate the tree by himself. "He would hate it if I missed any of those tiny sparkling cowboy hats."

"Don't forget the replica GTO," James said, the words amused. "Or the tacky beer bottles."

"Hey, those are vintage," Mac protested, but he chuckled wryly anyway. "He was very proud when he managed to collect a whole set." He turned down the next aisle and stopped in his tracks when he saw a gorgeous blue-green pine, full and lush and easily nine feet tall. "That's it."

"Holy shit," James breathed out, staring at the tree with wide eyes. "I know what you meant now, this tree is gorgeous." His gaze shifted to their right and his eyes widened even more. "And if you don't hurry this family will get it before you."

"You, distraction," Mac ordered, already moving toward the closest salesman that was conveniently standing right next to his tree. "Just don't burn the other trees."

"Fuck you, Angus," James said mildly, but he did as he was told, pretending to trip and fall in front of the family heading for Mac's tree. "Oh god, I'm _so_ sorry! Must be getting klutzy in my old age!"

Mac snickered to himself before he reached the salesman, digging out his wallet and paying for the tree in cash. He took the provided ax and started chopping, James joining him again a moment later.

He stood next to him, putting his hands in his pockets and watching Mac like one would watch an animal in the zoo. "Aren't you going to help?" Mac panted, glaring at him when James shook his head.

"No, I think you've got it handled," his dad replied, smiling widely. "I will help you attach it to your truck, though."

"How generous of you," Mac said, so sarcastic he was fairly certain his words were dripping with it. Thankfully it only took a couple more chops to down the tree, and once that was done they wrapped it in a net and started dragging it back to the truck. "Lifting this is gonna be a bitch."

"That's why we should've brought more people," James grumbled, swearing when they had to tug the tree harder when it got stuck on a rock or something. "Like a fucking tac team."

"I'm pretty sure Matty wouldn't think it was a good use of the Phoenix resources," Mac muttered. "Now come on, you're stronger than that, pull harder."

After a lot of grunting and swearing they managed to get the tree into the back of the truck and tied down with bungee cords. James still wanted to get that wreath for Matty's place, so while he went back in to do that Mac pulled out his phone. He answered a couple of texts, then hesitated over his contacts before pushing call for Jack's name. It went straight to voicemail like always, but that didn't stop Mac from leaving one: "Hey, babe. Just bought the Christmas tree... I went with my dad, which was an experience." He chuckled. "I hope... I hope you're doing okay. Love you. Bye."

He almost hung up, but something stopped him and he brought the phone up to his ear again. "I miss you so much," he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut and swallowing around the lump in his throat that appeared out of nowhere. "I'm trying to keep going, but... it gets harder every year." He exhaled shakily and opened his eyes. "Come back home soon. _Please._ "

He pressed end call and put his phone away, leaning against the side of his truck and taking several deep breaths to calm himself down. He got himself together by the time James returned with not one but several wreaths. They piled them into the truck and rumbled out of the parking lot, and Mac forced his voice into something that sounded normal when he asked, "Do you want to stop for lunch?"

"Yeah, sure," James said, glancing at him, and Mac could tell he was suspecting something. "You alright?"

"Of course," Mac replied, but it didn't sound convincing even to him. "I'm great. I'm glad we got that tree." James nodded, but didn't say anything and Mac was grateful for that.

He drove them to the diner they had passed earlier and he found a spot at the small parking lot. "Have you been here before?" James asked when they got out, squinting at the shiny chrome on the outside of the building. "With Jack?"

"Yeah," Mac said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. It didn't smell like Jack anymore, but it still brought him comfort. "Don't order the shrimp. Jack said a diner should never serve shrimp and he was right."

"Duly noted," James muttered, and they headed toward the door. The diner wasn't very crowded and they decided to sit in a booth by the window with the view of the parking lot. Even though it was very unlikely someone would manage to steal such a huge tree Mac still preferred to keep an eye on his truck, just in case. "So if not shrimp, what do you recommend?" James asked, smiling at the waitress once she brought them menus. "You must have a favorite."

"The meatloaf is great," Mac told him, glancing at the menu to make sure nothing had changed before he set it aside. "Coffee, please?" The waitress nodded and departed, returning a moment later with two steaming mugs. James eyeballed the menu before taking Mac's advice, and they both ordered the meatloaf with all of the fixings, as Jack would have said.

Mac did his best not to get lost in his head and memories of Jack, but it wasn't as easy as he had hoped it would have been. He didn't want to be an asshole and stare through the window during the whole lunch, leaving his dad to entertain himself. "Are you thinking about coming back to work?" he eventually asked. "All of your tests came back okay, so... you could."

"I could," James echoed, leaning back against the booth. "Do you want me to? Or is it gonna make what we've started to build weird again?"

"I think it would be fine," Mac said after mulling it over for a moment. "We actually talk now, so I don't see why we couldn't make it work. Plus I'm sure Matty would be happy to have you back."

"Mhmm, you might be right," James said slowly. "If I'm at work with her then I'm not left unsupervised at her house... can't blow up her office."

"You blew up Matty's office?" Mac asked incredulously. "I thought it was her car?" When James just shrugged, Mac huffed in amusement. "I have to ask this time. _What_ were you doing?"

"That's classified," James said, smiling when Mac grumbled something unkind under his breath. "Do you think Taylor would have a problem with it?"

"I doubt it," Mac said, waiting until the waitress set down their food before he continued speaking. "And if he did, we could always have a chat."

James looked at him for a moment before he chuckled. "You sounded like Dalton just now," he said teasingly, and Mac ducked his head, smiling a little. "Also, I have a feeling Taylor might've been on the receiving end of Dalton's... _talks_ in the past."

"He most definitely was," Mac agreed with a nod. "There's a reason he tenses whenever Jack gets mentioned."

"I figured as much." James sliced into the meatloaf and made a pleased sound when he took a bite. "You were right, this is delicious."

"I might not know how to cook, but I do know how to eat," Mac said, digging into his own food. They ate in silence, both engrossed in their meals, and when the waitress came back James ordered them both some pie.

"Oh yeah, great choice," Mac said when the waitress walked away. "They have amazing pies here."

James smiled and looked out the window for a moment before looking at Mac again. "So what are the Christmas plans?"

"I think you're all coming over on Christmas Day," Mac replied, frowning a little. "Like every year?"

"What about Christmas Eve?" James asked softly. "You could come over, you know. Matty would love to have you."

Mac pressed his lips together. "I'll... I'll think about it, okay?" he said, sighing when disappointment flashed on his dad's face. "I know you're trying to help, Dad, and I really appreciate it. Coming up here alone would've been miserable. It's just... I might stay in tomorrow night and watch Die Hard."

James smiled sadly. "You used to do that with Jack, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Mac murmured, wrapping both hands around his coffee mug and staring down at it. "Among other things and... it doesn't feel right to stop all those traditions." He shrugged a little. "It's stupid, I know, but... that way, at least for a moment I can pretend he's back."

"It's not stupid," James told him, kicking him lightly under the table. "Just... remember I'm a phone call away? And so are the others?"

"I know," Mac said, lips quirking up in a tiny smile. "And I appreciate you guys putting up with me."

"To be fair, you're not exactly making it hard for us," James pointed out. "Since you've mastered bottling up your feelings to perfection usually you act like you're completely fine. You tend to slip up a little around the holidays or other special occasions."

"Shit," Mac said simply, not realizing he had been so transparent. They ate their pie in silence, and when the bill came Mac insisted on paying. "You volunteered to come with me. I'm paying."

"It's not like it's a hardship," James said as they got up to leave. "Believe it or not, Angus, I like spending time with you."

"Even when you have to drag a huge tree around with me?" Mac asked teasingly. They stepped outside and headed for the truck, and Mac couldn't help but smile - they really had found the perfect tree. "Before you get excited it's over, the worst part is still coming." He grinned. "You need to help me put it up in the living room."

James groaned theatrically as they got inside the truck and Mac started the engine, pulling out from the parking lot and in the road, ready for another three hour ride.

* * *

_Three days earlier..._

Two years.

Two fucking years, give or take some change, and the strike team had finally managed to track down Kovacs right-hand man (and suspected lover) Kellen Azar in Paris. It had been one hell of a stretch of time and Jack Dalton could hardly believe they were this fucking close to nabbing someone who might actually know where Kovacs was. He raised the binoculars to his face to take another look at the house where Azar was staying, aware of Devers shifting next to him to get blood back into his legs.

"You're awfully fidgety, Devers," Jack drawled without looking away from the house, not needing to see Devers to know he was glaring at him. "Something wrong?"

"Fuck you," was the response he got, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Can't we just go in and grab him? If we don't move soon you're gonna have to drag me."

Jack smothered a laugh at the mental image that produced even as he studied the doors and windows once more. "You'll live. We've waited two years, what's ten more minutes?"

"You have no way of knowing when he's gonna leave again," Devers pointed out. "Jameson? Martinez? What do you guys think?"

"I think that if I have to be stuck in this van for another minute, I'm never gonna walk straight again," Jameson grumbled since he was a huge dude, currently almost folded in half because of the lack of space. "I also don't wanna spook our little birdie, so I have no fucking idea what to do."

"I could do another walk-about," Martinez offered, and Jack heard him scratching at the stubble on his face over their comms. "Have we considered setting a fire? A little arson never hurt anyone."

"I'm pretty sure that isn't true," Jack commented, trying to ignore how his heart hurt because that reminded him of Mac. "But I agree we need to do something. Eventually we're gonna be noticed here."

"The street is completely empty, who's going to notice us?" Lambert, their resident tech nerd, wondered out loud. He and Romero were sitting in a car parked a street away, close enough to help if it was necessary, but not close enough to be suspicious. "On the other hand, knowing our luck..."

"Exactly," Jack muttered, not needing Lambert to finish his thought. "Martinez, you think you can set the fire without getting noticed?"

"Oh wait, we're actually doing my plan?" Martinez sounded a little too excited and Jack imagined him perking up like an eager puppy. "I can give it a shot. If I do it from the alley I shouldn't be seen by anybody, but keep an eye out."

"Roger that," Devers said, and they watched as Martinez got out of the van and headed for the house. "Good thing we're not closer to the city proper, or there's no way this would work."

"Don't be a killjoy, Devers," Jack said with a smile. While Martinez specialized in explosives and fires, Devers was the one that usually reminded Jack of Mac the most. Blond, smart, a pain in the ass, and the kind of random stuff he just _knew_ was ridiculous. "Let Martinez play with fire in peace."

"Never. It's my job to needle all of you." Devers glanced down and sighed. "That and every time I stop talking I start thinking about home, and... that's not good." He pushed his hair back from his face. "We've been radio silent for so long... it's killing me not to be able to talk to Russ."

Jack's heart clenched because he knew this feeling all too well. "I know, man," he murmured, thinking about Mac and imagining him smile in that way he only ever smiled at Jack. "I know it sucks, but we're so close, I can taste it. We're gonna grab that dude and he's gonna tell us where our buddy Tiberius is hiding."

"I maintain that is an unfortunate first name, even if the guy is a bastard," Devers grumbled, but he smiled a little nonetheless. "God, I can't wait to see Russ again. I proposed right before we left, just in case... well, you know. Almost shit my pants when he said yes."

Jack sighed. "I should've done that," he said, swallowing hard. "Propose, I mean. It had been on my mind, but... I didn't want it to look like I was proposing _only_ because I was leaving. Knowing Mac, he would spend those two years overthinking everything and wondering if I didn't do it because I felt pressured or something."

"Sounds like something I'd do," Devers joked, snatching the binos so he could look at Martinez. "Okay, our boy is in position. Let's hope this is enough to drive Azar out. We don't need him to go far, just toward Romero and Lambert."

"You heard that, boys?" Jack asked, needing everything to go smoothly. "You better catch him when he runs."

"Relax, Dalton, we've got it," Romero muttered. "He's not getting away."

"Showtime," Martinez mumbled a second later, and Jack heard some rustling through the comms. A moment later he saw Martinez jog away and get back into the van with Jameson. "Done. In a few minutes it should be burning nicely."

"Great, because I can't feel my fucking legs," Devers declared, moving around yet again. "Doesn't help that it's the middle of winter."

"Hey, this is surprisingly mild for France in December," Jameson said, then grunted. "We've got movement in the house. Probably smelling the smoke?"

"Hopefully," Jack muttered, looking at the house like a hawk, not wanting to miss anything. "Remember, we need him alive, so no shooting unless he tries to kill one of you."

"I'd rather stab him, easier to keep him alive afterward," Lambert said, sounding way too cheerful for someone talking about stabbing.

"You're a psycho, Lambert," Martinez replied. "Door's opening! There's our guy running out... fucking hell, is that-?"

"Holy shit," Jack breathed out, his brain recognizing the person with Azar as Kovacs a split second before his body started moving. He leaped from the building they were perched on like he was much younger than he was, crashing into a dumpster and vaulting out of it into an alley. He bolted toward the two of them, knowing without checking that Devers was behind him, and he pulled his gun.

Kovacs and Azar seemed to realize what was going on and they noticed Jack a moment later, because they also pulled their guns and started firing in his direction. Jack ducked behind a car parked on the street, cursing when he realized he was pinned down. "Fucking hell, we've gotta take them both down _now_ ," he growled. "It could be our only chance."

Devers slid across the pavement and landed at his side, his gun also drawn as he leaned out to return fire. "You owe me a pair of pants!" he shouted, gesturing at his bleeding kneecaps. "I couldn't feel my goddamn feet, remember? Jumping off a building is a bad idea!"

"Nobody told you to fucking jump!" Jack yelled, risking lifting his head and seeing Azar and Kovacs also hide behind another car. "Jameson, do you have eyes on them?"

"I do, but I don't have a shot," Jameson replied. "Good news is they don't seem like they're about to run. But we need to get to them." Jack thought about it for a moment, trying to figure out what Mac would have done. "I've got an idea!" he shouted a moment later. "Cover me!"

"Shit, Dalton, you're fucking crazy!" Devers yelled, but he lied down covering fire anyway, more of it coming as Romero and Lambert approached from down the street. Jack barely noticed, too focused on running back to the dumpster he had landed in before. He kicked off the brakes on the wheels and yanked it away from the wall, getting behind it to push it down the incline of the alley... and hopefully right into Kovacs and Azar.

Unfortunately they noticed the huge dumpster coming at them and they jumped out of the way... but at the same time they lost their cover. "Get Azar!" Jack yelled since Romero and Lambert were the closest to him. "Kovacs is _mine_ ," he added in a growl and started running, going after Kovacs who instead of staying by his lover's side chose to save his own ass and run.

Every nerve in Jack's body sang and he realized, not for the first time, that this was _exactly_ what he had been made to do: chase, capture, and kill. His breath rushed in time with his pulse and soon he was within arm’s reach of Kovacs. He reached out with both hands and grabbed the back of his shirt, tackling him to the pavement.

He rolled over him and immediately jumped up to his feet, just in time to hop back to avoid getting kicked by Kovacs. "Agent Dalton, it's been a while," Kovacs snarled, lunging at Jack before he could reach for his gun. He ducked when Kovacs tried to punch him and he blocked another hit with his arm, his heart pounding wildly as he realized he finally had a chance to end this once and for all.

They sparred back and forth for a moment, and while it didn't come as a surprise to Jack that Kovacs was as proficient in hand to hand combat as he was, it _was_ odd that he hadn't tried to reach for a weapon. As soon as Jack had that thought he caught a flash of metal and his arm burned the next time Kovacs struck him - there was a blade in his hand. The blow made him stagger and Kovacs took advantage, slashing forward and managing to nick his cheek.

Thanks to the adrenaline he barely felt it and he changed his strategy, adjusting to fighting someone with a knife. Kovacs started waving it around like a maniac, clearly hoping it would make Jack stay away, but Jack was way too good at this to be stopped by a little knife. He followed the blade with his eyes and in the right moment he grabbed Kovacs's wrist and twisted it, causing him to swear and drop the knife.

Jack sucker punched him in the face, the cartilage of his nose snapping under his knuckles, blood bursting forth in a torrent. Kovacs didn't let him get away for free, though, kicking him in the shin before smashing his forehead into Jack's chin. That stunned him enough to make him let go of Kovacs's wrist and then it was his turn to get tackled to the street.

"Tibby, my man, you're being a particular pain in my ass," Jack growled, blocking Kovacs when he tried to punch him. He managed to roll them over, but Kovacs kicked him before Jack could pin him down, and they both got up to their feet. "You're lookin' a little out of breath," Jack commented, grinning murderously. "Gettin' tired?"

Kovacs spit blood and grinned back, just as vicious. "Not at all," he replied, blocking the punch Jack aimed at his head. "What about you, Agent Dalton? Is the thrill gone?"

Jack snorted, dancing away when Kovacs tried to kick out his knee. "Hardly. I've been waiting for this for a _long_ fucking time."

"Oh yes, you've been away from home for quite a while," Kovacs said, and they started circling each other, like two animals waiting for a perfect moment to strike. "It would be nice if you could tell me how did you find this place?" He grinned again. "Just so I know who I need to deal with after I kill you." He tilted his head and before Jack could say anything in response, Kovacs added, completely casually, "Also... how does Angus feel about you being gone so long?"

Jack's vision flooded crimson and he _snarled_. "Don't you fucking say his name. You don't deserve to be breathin' air at the same time he is."

"Such passion," Kovacs commented, skipping backward when Jack lunged for him, his expression positively gleeful. "Do you think it's taken a toll on your relationship? You being away from home?"

"I think you have other things to worry about than my relationship," Jack growled, and while he wasn't surprised Kovacs had done his research on him, it still made him feel uneasy. "Like your own relationship, for example? Your buddy Azar is either dead or captured, depending on how generous my boys were."

Kovacs rolled his eyes. "Like I give a shit. If I hadn't _wanted_ you to find Azar you wouldn't have." He was too good to give himself away by looking at the knife where it had fallen, but Jack knew he wanted it back. "Granted, I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly once I planted him as bait - hence why I'm here at all - but I think it's about time we settled this, don't you?"

"With pleasure," Jack replied in a cold voice, changing the direction of their pacing to make sure Kovacs didn't have a choice but to move away from the knife. Jack suspected Kovacs also had a gun somewhere on him since he had been shooting earlier which was why he didn't try to reach for his own weapon - Kovacs would probably reach for his and they would shoot each other, and Jack would kind like to walk away alive from this.

Mac's face flashed in his mind and that was all the motivation Jack needed to find an opening, landing a blow to Kovacs's ribs before he grabbed him around the throat with his other hand. Kovacs struggled, of course, even as Jack yanked him around so his back was to Jack's chest. With an inhuman roar he grabbed Kovacs's head with both hands and twisted _hard,_ snapping his neck.

As soon as he heard that familiar crack he let go and Kovacs fell down to the ground like a puppet with cut strings. Panting, Jack stared down at his body, and because he was still running high on adrenaline, everything buzzing around him, it took him a moment to register yelling in his ear, "DALTON! Dalton, do you fucking copy?"

After he caught his breath Jack raised his hand to his ear, tapping his comm. "I copy, Jameson. Target is down." There was a moment of silence and then all the guys erupted in jubilation, causing Jack to grin involuntarily.

When they had had time to settle down, it was Romero who said, "We got Azar, alive and everything. He should be able to tell us what he knows about Kovacs operation, though I doubt it'll be around much longer without his boss."

"You know what? I don't give a fuck," Jack said, suddenly feeling like jumping and singing. "Let the CIA worry about that, I... guys, we're going _home_." More exciting and happy shouting sounded in Jack's ear and he closed his eyes when his vision blurred a little. When he opened them he looked up at the sky... and realized it had started snowing.

He hadn't seen snow near Christmas in a long time, and when the flakes hit his cheeks they melted and mingled with his tears. He all but ran back to the guys, not giving a shit if they saw him cry - they had been through enough hell together that it did matter.

As soon as he was capable he was getting on the first flight back to Los Angeles... and Mac.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much for the lovely comments on the first chapter! Here's the second one, I hope you like it!
> 
> I'm not sure when I'm going to update again, so just in case I don't do it before Christmas - Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a great time ♥
> 
> K.

Standing in front of his huge tree, Mac smiled sadly as he hung the replica of the GTO on one of the branches in the center. In the background Jingle Bell Rock was playing quietly, but despite that and decorating the tree Mac didn't really feel the Christmas spirit. It was around noon and he had been up for two hours or so, and he had been feeling sadder with every passing minute.

Being alone on Christmas Eve was a lot more depressing than he had thought it would be. The past couple of years he had either been working or over at someone else's house, trying to distract himself from the gaping hole in his life where Jack should have been... but at the three year mark Mac had realized that there was no running from this. Sighing to himself, Mac decided he might as well have a drink - he wasn't leaving the house and he would scrounge up something for lunch in a while. He plugged in the lights on the tree and headed for the kitchen, intent on adding some rum to his eggnog.

Drinking eggnog and decorating the tree was one of the many traditions he and Jack had, along with singing the Christmas songs and dancing around like idiots. After it got dark Mac was going to turn on all the other lights, start a fire in the fireplace, and put on Die Hard, snuggling under a blanket... and while it would usually lead to him and Jack making out and more, tonight Mac knew he would be crying his eyes out.

"Way to be maudlin, MacGyver," he muttered to himself, pouring extra rum into his eggnog and taking a slug. He didn't even really like it - too thick for his taste - but it reminded him of better times, and the alcohol burned pleasantly going down. As he passed the counter he stopped by the platter of sugar cookies and gingersnaps Desi and Riley had dropped off, which was the thing that had gotten Mac out of bed in the first place.

He grabbed a cookie and took a bite, making a pleased sound. It was delicious and it reminded him of the cookies Jack's mom always used to bake when they would have come to visit after Christmas to spend the New Year's Eve on Jack's ranch.

He hadn't been down to Texas since Jack had left and wondered if maybe this was the year he should go see Alice and the rest of the Daltons, even if he went alone. Deciding he would have cookies and eggnog for lunch, he took the whole mess over to the couch and admired the tree. Even if it made him sad it was still beautiful, and his mind drifted to thoughts of his friends and what they were doing tonight.

Matty and his dad were decorating her house - well, their house - and Mac knew that Bozer had left a few days ago to spend Christmas with his family. He would be back in a few days, but all the others were coming over tomorrow on Christmas Day, just like they did every year. Desi and Riley were spending their first Christmas together in their jointly-owned condo, and Russ... well, Mac honestly wasn't sure what Russ was doing. He half expected him to show up later, drunk off his ass, and that would be... interesting. Mac wouldn't turn him away, of course, but he would have to be satisfied with the couch.

He secretly hoped that if Russ _did_ decide to invade someone tonight, it was going to be James and Matty. God knows he was capable of doing that just to piss Matty off, and Mac... Mac just wanted to be left alone. Well, that wasn't entirely true because what he wanted more than anything was to hear Jack's voice, even if only on the phone... but that was not going to happen and Mac wasn't stupid enough to hope for that. A part of him wished he believed in fairytales and Christmas miracles, that just wasn't him - he was a man of science and facts, as much as it sucked sometimes.

Especially since he could really use a miracle or two right now... but it would never happen.

* * *

Jack had spent Christmas Eve in some weird places - the middle of the desert for one, stranded in the jungle for another - but ironically enough he had never gotten stuck in an airport until now. After three days of travel to Washington DC and debriefings (turned out the fuckers at the CIA also wanted to get home for the holiday), Jack found himself sitting next to Devers in Chicago's O'Hare Airport. There were no direct flights from DC to LA this close to Christmas, so a three hour layover in the Windy City was the best they could do.

His leg was bouncing up nervously and he couldn’t help but check his watch every minute or so. "God, will you stop it already?" Devers groaned after a moment. " _Relax_. I haven't seen you this nervous in probably ever and the mission is over, what's going on with you?"

"I just wanna get home, man," Jack said, forcing himself to sit back in the chair and take a deep breath. "Until a few days ago I was starting to think I'd never get to see Mac again, and now I'm so close to him but so far away and it's driving me nuts."

"So why don't you call him?" Devers asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I called Russ!"

Jack stared at him for a moment because... he hadn't thought of that at all. "Fuck," he breathed out. "I... I could do that, yeah." He swallowed hard and thought about it, shaking his head for a moment. "But... I don't know, dude, it doesn't feel right. I just... need to see him." He swore. "I should probably turn on my private phone. It's been off for almost two years, so... think I could borrow your charger?"

"Yeah, of course," Devers said, pulling his charger out of his backpack. "I can't believe you're so old you forgot cell phones exist."

"Fuck you, Devers." Jack's voice was full of fondness despite the words, and he plugged in his phone and turned it on. As expected, it blew up with notifications almost immediately and he winced. "Christ."

"Yikes," Devers said, looking over his arm. "Didn't you tell people you wouldn't be able to use that phone?"

"I did, but... I guess most of it are just offers and ads, or some other shit," Jack replied, frowning when he saw he had a bunch of voicemails. "There are some voicemails, though... that's odd."

"Take a walk," Devers offered when Jack stood, folding himself up so he could put his legs over Jack's chair. "I'll save your seat."

"Thanks, man," Jack murmured, and he walked until he reached a bank of windows that look out on the airstrip.

He called his voicemail and brought the phone to his ear. The first voicemail was just some rustling, so Jack figured someone hadn't hung up in time when they had realized the call had gone to voicemail. Jack shook his head a little and as the second message started he wondered if all of the messages were the same... but then he froze when he heard a shaky exhale on the line.

"Hi," Mac's quiet voice said a moment later. "I'm... it's stupid, I know you can't pick up. But I just wanted to hear your voice... even if it's just that dorky message you recorded." Jack's knees went weak and he leaned against the windowsill for support, afraid he was about to fall down. "I know you talked to Desi a couple weeks ago," Mac's voice continued, and Jack's mind reeled - this message was over two years old, because the last time Jack had talked to Desi was after Charlie had died. "But I... I'm not doing so well. Things are... bad at the Phoenix, and there's talk we're gonna lose government funding."

"What?" Jack breathed out, even though he wasn't _actually_ talking to Mac.

"Anyway, I..." Mac continued after a moment, like he had needed to take a breath to pull himself together, and Jack's heart cracked. "I hope you're doing okay. And I... need to you come back, so... hurry up, okay? I love you."

He hung up and Jack took several deep breaths, trying to stay calm. He deleted several more junk voicemails before he reached another one from Mac. "Hey," he said, and his voice sounded... raspy, like he had been crying, but also... maybe he had inhaled some smoke? "I know it's been a while since my last message... like a year and a half... but... my dad..." He paused to cough. "Sorry. I'm still in the hospital."

Jack almost dropped his phone when he heard that and he squeezed his eyes shut as he tried not to make any sound that would have people stare at him. "I'm... we got kidnapped by this... organization we're trying to take down... my aunt is in charge of that." He made a hysterical sound. "I have an aunt, she's... my mom's sister."

"Jesus Christ," Jack whispered to himself, tears burning behind his eyelids.

"So... yeah, that's a thing," Mac continued, his voice gone thready and nervous. "Remember when I pulled you out of that burning coffin? I kinda did that with my dad, but... worse, and he's still in surgery. If Desi and Taylor hadn't come looking for us I don't know what would've happened."

"Taylor?" Jack mouthed, but he didn't get to wonder who the hell that was - probably a new agent or something - because Mac was still talking.

"I miss you," Mac basically _whimpered_ , and Jack couldn't help but think that Mac had probably been on painkillers then. "And I... I don't know how much longer I can do this without you. But... I better hang up now before I say something stupid. I love you, bye."

Sweat broke out on the back of Jack's neck, and he was suddenly afraid of what the rest of the messages might have said. He had to go through more junk before he reached another one from Mac. "Hi," his boyfriend's voice whispered. "Jack, I... I don't know what's about to happen. So if I don't make it... if Riles and I don't make it, please know that I tried my best."

Jack's knees _did_ give out this time and he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. "I... I pretended to betray the Phoenix and join Codex, but... everyone thinks I did it for real and... they think I'm a traitor." He made a soft sound, almost like he was trying not to cry. "Riley... she's the only one who believed in me and came after me, but... we're alone now and... something's bad is about to happen."

"Mac, we've got a problem!" Riley's voice called, and Jack put his hand over his mouth to stifle a sob. "There's a second missile!"

"I need to go," Mac mumbled. "I'm sorry."

He hung up and Jack pounded at his phone with fat fingers, sobbing again as he tried to get to the next message. He almost passed out in relief when he heard there _was_ a next message and he squeezed his eyes again when he heard his boyfriend's voice.

"J-Jack," Mac stuttered out, and the brief relief Jack had felt flew out of the window. "It's... I'm alive. We're all alive... well, almost." He chuckled, but it was definitely not a happy sound. "My aunt- Gwen, she... she betrayed Codex to help us take it down." A soft exhale. "She... she's dead. She... sacrificed herself for... for me."

"Oh god, darlin'," Jack whispered, brows furrowing in sympathy when he heard the pain and confusion in Mac's voice. "I should've been there."

"Anyway," Mac said, clearing his throat. "Riley and I are back at the Phoenix, but now there's talk of a virus coming out of China... I hope you're safe. I love you."

"I love you too," Jack murmured, swallowing when he heard there was another message.

"Hey, babe. Just bought the Christmas tree... I went with my dad, which was an experience." Mac chuckled. "I hope... I hope you're doing okay. Love you. Bye." For a second Jack thought that was it, but then Mac continued, his voice breaking," I'm trying to keep going, but... it gets harder every year." He exhales shakily. "Come back home soon. _Please._ "

That was the last message and Jack hung up, wiping his eyes and letting out a shaky sigh. He just decided he was going to call Mac back when an announcement came over the PA system - their flight was boarding _right now_. "Jack!" Devers called, waving at him frantically. "We gotta go!"

Jack swore and jumped up to his feet, and it was good timing because his phone died in that moment since he hadn't really charged it a lot before listening to all the voicemails. He shoved it into one of the pockets in his uniform and jogged over to Devers to grab his bag. "Hey, man, you okay?" Devers asked, looking at him in concern.

"Not really," Jack admitted as they joined a crowd of people all but running for the gate. He gave Devers the short version, and finished with, "I can't fucking believe I missed all of that because of Kovacs."

Devers frowned, waiting until they boarded the plane and sat down before he spoke again. "Uh... Jack? Did I ever tell you what Russ does for a living?"

"No?" Jack replied after a moment, trying to remember if they had ever talked about this. "You've never talked that much at him... I don't even know the guy's last name."

"Well, I might've had a reason for that," Devers said, wincing a little. "You guys... know each other." He took a deep breath. "My boyfriend- well, fiancé... is Russ Taylor."

Jack blinked, wondering if he had fallen into an alternate dimension between the airport and the plane. "What? _You're_ engaged to _Russ Taylor_?"

"I know," Devers said, wincing again. "It's kind of a long story, but... we've got time?"

"You bet we've got time," Jack muttered, and a sudden realization dawned on him. "Wait. Mac mentioned a Taylor in several of his messages... and he kind of made it sound like he was one of the people who thought Mac was a traitor." He took a deep breath. "Actually, what the fuck is Taylor doing at the Phoenix? And how come a great guy like you is engaged to that scumbag?"

"Hey," Devers said sharply, and that was... unexpected, because Devers wasn't the kind of guy to raise his voice. "Russ has made his fair share of mistakes, but so have the rest of us. He's trying to do the right thing now." He sighed. "He bought the Phoenix Foundation after it lost its government funding because nobody would listen to him about Codex."

Jack remembered what Mac had said in one of the voicemails about losing the funding... but after that he hadn't mentioned how they had solved that problem. Jack suspected he hadn't mentioned Taylor buying the Phoenix because he hadn't wanted to make Jack angry, knowing how Jack felt about Taylor.

"Since we'd been radio silent I'm assuming he told you all that during your earlier phone call?" When Devers nodded, Jack sighed. "Are you seriously tellin' me that he's no longer the bastard I knew? Because I punched that face a lot of times and if I'm bein' honest I still kinda feel like doing it."

"Try to restrain yourself, because I love his face," Devers said wryly, patting Jack on the arm. "He's changed, Jack, just like you and me and everybody else." They took off into the sky, and he flagged down a flight attendant and ordered them both a glass of champagne. "Now, let's toast to a win and see if we can make it home in time for Christmas."

* * *

Hours after he was done decorating the tree and drinking maybe a little too much eggnog, Mac curled up under a huge blanket - Jack's favorite - and pressed the button on the remote. The opening of Die Hard started playing on the TV and Mac swallowed hard, cursing himself for already getting emotional. He glanced around the living room, trying to find some comfort in the pretty lights hanging everywhere, the fire cracking quietly, or the gorgeous tree... but he just couldn't.

He let out a trembling breath and curled up into a tighter ball, the blanket tucked under his chin. Not for the first time he wished he could have had a pet of some kind, but his job just didn't allow for it... anything would have been better than being alone and miserable, even though he couldn't bring himself to face the team. He knew they would have been understanding, and that was part of why he didn't want to see them. In the face of all their sympathy he might shatter and never be able to put himself back together.

He wasn't sure why everything was so much harder right now - he had been fine for over two years. No, that was a lie, he hadn't been fine... but he was able to keep going normally and mostly hide how much he missed Jack. Lately, though... lately it had been unbearable, and like he had said in the voicemail he had left for Jack, he didn't know how much more of this he could take. He felt like there was a huge hole in his chest, in the place where his heart should have been, and he knew only Jack could ever fill that void and stop him from shattering to pieces.

Die Hard rolled forward on the TV, but Mac wasn't paying attention, too caught up in his own loneliness. Rain drummed on the roof of the house, because it was LA, so snow on Christmas would have been impossible, and yet he had sort of hoped for it.

Just like he had hoped for other impossible things, despite trying not to.

Before he could spiral too badly, a new noise interrupted his thoughts: the doorbell. "For god's sake, Russ, did you _have_ to pick me?" he called, tossing the blanket aside. "Why not Matty and my dad?"

He didn't get a response, probably both because Russ was hammered and because he hadn't actually heard him all the way from the living room. Cursing him and his entire existence, Mac forced himself to get up from the couch and slowly move toward the door. He wasn't in a rush - if Russ decided to ruin his night, he could wait outside for a bit - but eventually he did reach the door. He had no other choice than to open it, so he did... and froze.

Instead of a sloppy Brit standing in front of him, Mac was faced with... "Jack?" he breathed out, equal parts astonished and disbelieving. He stared with wide eyes, pulse pounding in his ears as he forgot how to breathe. For a hysterical second he wondered if he had accidentally dosed himself with DMT and now he was hallucinating. "Are you... what's happening?"

Jack - or a hologram, or an apparition, Mac wasn't sure yet - smiled softly at him. He was wearing his uniform, looking as handsome as ever, even if he looked tired. He was paler and thinner than Mac remembered, but somehow at the same time he seemed more ripped... and in that moment Mac realized that if he had been hallucinating Jack would have looked like he had when they had seen each other - healthier, better, so...

"Hey, baby," Jack said, and god, his _voice_ , it was almost enough to make Mac pass out. "I'm home."

Mac choked on a sob and flew through the doorway, throwing himself at Jack and wrapping all four limbs around him. "Oh god, oh my _god_ , Jack," he gasped, burying his face in his throat and breathing in his smell for the first time in three years. "How... why..." He gulped in more air, desperate to organize his racing thoughts. "Is it over?"

Jack grunted a little when he hoisted Mac up to make sure he didn't drop him, one arm under his ass while the other circled his waist. "It's over," he whispered, and he sounded close to tears too. "It's over, he's dead, and I'm... I'm back." Mac felt Jack turn his head and press his nose against his hair, his arms tightening around him. "I'm so sorry it took so long, baby, I'm so sorry."

Mac shook his head, digging his fingers into the material of Jack's uniform. "Don't... you don't have to apologize," he said hoarsely, blinking away the tears that had blurred his vision. "I know you did everything you could, and... and I don't care now. All that matters is that you're here." He pulled back a little, nuzzling at Jack's cheek, not ready to put his feet on the ground. "Maybe we should get out of the rain."

"Maybe we should," Jack echoed, but he didn't move. Instead he pulled back enough to look at Mac's face and Mac barely stifled a sob when he looked into those beautiful dark eyes that he had missed so much. There was a cut on Jack's cheek that looked a few days old, but for now Mac didn't give a damn and he framed Jack’s face with both hands, swallowing hard before he leaned down for a kiss.

Jack _whimpered_ against his mouth and pressed Mac's back to the doorjamb, using his body to hold him there while his hands ran all over him. Passion took over almost immediately and Mac parted his lips when Jack's tongue slipped between them, clutching at his stubbled cheeks like his life depended on it. Jack's hands were _everywhere_ \- his shoulders, his ass, and then one finally came to rest in Mac's hair while the other one squeezed his thigh.

The doorjamb was digging into Mac's back, but he didn't give a damn, making a soft sound against Jack's lips as they made out like it was the end of the world. Eventually his lungs burned in protest when breathing became necessary, so Mac broke the kiss, but only for a moment. After panting for a few seconds he kissed Jack again, irrationally afraid that Jack was going to disappear any second now.

Jack kissed him back for a moment before breaking away with a ragged laugh. "Easy, sweetheart, I ain't going anywhere," he said, pushing his fingers through Mac's hair. There were a couple more lines in his face than Mac remembered. "Not without you. Not again."

"Good, because I wouldn't let you leave anyway," Mac replied, and he still felt like crying. He rubbed his thumbs over Jack's stubble, searching his face, unable to look away. He let out a shaky laugh a moment later, pressing their foreheads together. "Do you want to come inside?"

Jack nodded a little, chuckling too. "Yeah, I... I'd love that." He set Mac down carefully, waiting for him to find his feet before he grabbed the duffle bag he had dropped on the porch. They ducked inside, both kind of wet, and Mac knew he should have taken Jack's flak jacket or get him something warm to drink... but he couldn't force himself to move.

He heard Jack close and lock the door, and then put his bag in the floor before walking up to Mac. "Hey," he said softly, and when Mac turned to look at him he found Jack watching him with a gentle gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," Mac replied, shaking his head, and wrapped his arms around Jack's neck, needing to be as close to him as possible. "I'm sorry, I just... I can't believe you're here."

"That makes two of us," Jack said, sliding his arms around Mac's waist and squeezing. He kissed at the soft skin behind Mac's ear. "You won't believe how we finally caught the bastard... although you might wanna brew up some coffee if you want me to be coherent, I haven't slept in... a while."

Mac frowned and pulled back to look at Jack, immediately worried. "Are you okay?" he asked, moving his hands to run them over Jack's body, checking for injuries. "You can go sleep if you want, you look tired."

"Hell no," Jack protested, shaking his head. "I haven't seen you in over two years, I ain't gonna nap when I finally get to hold you."

Mac couldn't help but smile because that was sweet, and he tugged Jack over to the kitchen. "Fine, but you're coming with me," he said, making quick work of getting the coffee made. "I don't want to let you out of my sight."

"That's fair," Jack murmured next to his ear, hands moving almost fervently over his waist and hips. "I feel the same way."

Mac shuddered pleasantly and his smile widened when he glanced at the tree and the decorations in the living room. "Come on, I want to show you something," he said, grabbing Jack's hand and dragging him to the living room. "Look." Jack smiled softly as he glanced around, and when they walked up to the tree his breath hitched when he saw all of his ornaments. "You seem surprised by my choice of decorations," Mac murmured. "Why?"

"Nothin', I just..." Jack paused to drag the back of his hand over his eyes. "I always thought you were humoring me by letting me put these things up, not that you actually liked them."

"Of course I like them," Mac said, lacing their fingers together against his hip. "They remind me of you."

Jack exhaled shakily and he turned his head to kiss Mac’s cheek. "You did a great job with the tree," he whispered. "It's beautiful."

"I knew you'd like it," Mac said, smiling a little. "I did what you always told me to do, I looked around until I knew that was it."

"You went with your dad to get the tree, right?" Jack asked, his lips brushing over the shell of Mac's ear. "What was that like?"

Mac opened his mouth to answer... and then went very still. "You... did you listen to your voicemails?"

"I did," Jack murmured, running one hand up and down Mac's back when he tensed. "When I was in Chicago earlier today, waiting for my flight to LA."

Mac swallowed hard. "... oh," he whispered. "I... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"Hey now, none of that," Jack said, his hands coming up to frame Mac's face. They were just as big and calloused as Mac remembered, rough but _so_ gentle when they touched him. "You needed somebody to talk to, and I wasn't around. I just wish I'd been able to listen to them sooner."

Mac was suddenly keenly aware of the burn scars that webbed the backs of his hands, faint thanks to laser treatments, but still visible... and how the deeper burns on his arms weren't able to receive those treatments.

Thankfully he was wearing a long-sleeved hoodie and his arms were covered for now, but he knew Jack would eventually see the burns... and he hadn't thought about it before, but he wondered if Jack was going to find him less attractive now. "I know you couldn't use your phone, it's okay," Mac whispered. "I understood."

"Doesn't make it right," Jack said, his voice gone low. He took another look at the tree, then pulled Mac back toward the kitchen. "Coffee time... I don't suppose you've got any food? Flew back first class and the meal still sucked."

Snorting, Mac dug around in the fridge while Jack got their mugs ready and said, "I've got stuff for a sandwich... the rest of the food is for when the others come over tomorrow. Oh, and there's cookies - Dez and Riles brought them over earlier."

"I could go for a cookie," Jack said, snatching one of them and shoving it in his mouth. "Wait, Desi and Riley? As in... together?"

Mac's eyes widened. "Uhm... yeah," he replied after a moment. "They've been together for... a while now. They even got a condo together."

Jack made a sound of acknowledgement as he chewed his cookie, picking up the plate once Mac took the mugs. They brought everything to the couch, and to Mac's amazement Jack actually _turned off Die Hard_ , his attention focused solely on Mac. "That's awesome," he said in regards to Riley and Desi. "Is... is she happy? Riley?"

"She is," Mac said softly, resisting the urge to crawl in Jack's lap, not wanting to be too clingy. "It had been a little... rough after the Codex disaster since for a while Desi actually believed we betrayed them for real... but they worked it out." He smiled a little. "They're really good together."

"I bet," Jack mumbled around another cookie, washing it down with a slug of coffee before he opened his arms. "What are you doing over there? C'mere." That was all the encouragement Mac needed, and he took the blanket with him, curling up on top of Jack and sighing when he wrapped his arms around him, pressing a kiss to Mac's neck.

"I missed you so much," he whispered, words tumbling out before he could stop them. "I mean, I... I know I said that already in the voicemails, but... I missed you _so much_." He closed his eyes, not wanting to cry again, not when he actually had Jack back. "It's been... so hard without you."

"I missed you too," Jack told him, fingers coming up to card through Mac's hair. "I thought about you every single day, and there were times I almost gave up on Kovacs and grabbed the first flight home." He sighed shakily. "But I couldn't abandon the guys on the strike team... and it's a good thing I didn't, because one of them is engaged to Russ fucking Taylor."

"What?!" Mac actually sat up a little, staring at Jack with wide eyes. "Russ is _engaged_? He never mentioned anything! And... fuck, he must've known his fiancé is on your team, right? Why haven't he said anything?"

"I don't know, baby," Jack replied, tugging at him and until Mac was curled up against his chest again. "Devers never mentioned his fiancé's last name to me since apparently he'd known I wouldn't have reacted well."

Mac sighed. "Russ is... complicated. I can't say we've always gotten along because we haven't, but... his heart is in the right place, I think." He chuckled a little. "And I've mostly forgiven him for almost dropping a couple Hellfire missiles on my head." He rested his head against Jack's shoulder. "What's Devers like? Does he know he can come along tomorrow when everybody comes over?"

"Did you just say Taylor was the one responsible for those missiles?" Jack growled, and Mac shuddered, because he had missed Jack getting so protective of him.

"Not exactly," Mac replied, shifting enough to kiss the side of Jack's neck. "In the end he stopped them. But you haven't answered my question."

Jack sighed, but then chuckled a little. "Devers is... a lot like you actually," he murmured. "Smart as a whip and a general pain in my ass. You two would get along."

Mac smiled against Jack's skin. "Then I can't wait to meet him." He reached for his phone on the coffee table and swiped until he got to his text thread with Russ, which contained mostly work stuff and the occasional meme. He was aware of Jack reading over his shoulder as he tapped out a message: **_Jack just got home. Make sure you bring Devers with you tomorrow_**.

He tossed the phone away after that, not expecting a response anytime soon since checking his texts was probably the last thing on Russ's mind right now. Sighing, he pressed his nose against Jack's neck again, inhaling deeply the smell of gunpowder and somehow leather, even though he was sure Jack hadn't really worn it in a long time.

"Still can't believe Devers and Taylor are a thing," Jack grumbled, hugging Mac a little closer. "I also can't believe I'm here with you right now. I was starting to think it would never happen." He nuzzled Mac's temple. "You wanna hear how it went down?"

"Of course I do," Mac murmured, basically melting in Jack's hold. "But only if you're ready to talk about it. I imagine it wasn't pretty."

"It wasn't," Jack whispered, exhaling shakily. "And I... I wish I could move on and forget all about it, but I'm guessin' it's not gonna happen, plus... I want you to know what happened. What I did."

Those words made Mac frown and he drew back a little, just enough to look Jack in the eye. "Jack, whatever you tell me isn't going to change anything," he said, reaching up to touch his cheek lightly. "I'm sure whatever it is was necessary for you to come back to me, so... I don't care. Tell me."

Jack looked at him for a moment before he smiled a little, but it wasn't a happy expression. "We... found Kovacs by accident," he started, and Mac's eyes widened in surprise. "We actually tracked down a man who we thought was his right hand man, also his lover... and that led us to a house in Paris. We staked it out for hours and eventually we set a fire to smoke him out... and it turned out he was there, but so was Kovacs."

"That must've been shocking," Mac commented, his hand sliding around to squeeze the back of Jack's neck comfortingly. "What did you guys do?"

"I sorta lost my shit," Jack admitted, his hand tightening against Mac's hip. "I jumped off a roof and landed in a dumpster, then ran toward them, but obviously they started shooting at me. I dove behind a car and Devers joined me a minute later. We needed a way to get to them... and I did something you would've done."

"Really?" Mac grinned widely. "What did you do? Because you know, starting a fire to smoke them out is also something I would do."

"Yeah, I know," Jack murmured, smiling softly. "Anyway, I ran back to that dumpster I'd landed in earlier and since it had wheels... I pushed it down the street, right into Kovacs and his buddy."

"I can't imagine they were happy about that," Mac said, thumb rubbing over Jack's jaw. His hair and stubble had more gray in it than Mac remembered, but he didn't care. "So? Did you squash them?"

Jack chuckled roughly. "No, they ran away in time. Azar headed down the street toward Romero and Lambert, and Kovacs went in the other direction... and instead of pulling my gun and shooting him, I started a fight."

Mac frowned. "Why?"

"Well, he started runnin', so it would've meant shooting him in the back," Jack started, but then he sighed. "But that's not why I didn't do it. I could've shot him, honor be damned, but-"

"You _wanted_ to make it personal," Mac interjected softly, smiling when Jack looked at him in surprise. "Did you also tell your guys to stand down and not help you? Because you wanted to be the one to end it?"

Jack's mouth moved, but no words came out, and then he cleared his throat. "Uh... yeah, I did. And I'm not gonna ask you how you know that." He sighed, eyes falling closed. "It _was_ personal... and he made it more so. I shouldn't have been surprised that he did his research on me since I almost killed him... but he brought you up."

Mac winced a little. "Yikes. What did he say?"

"He referred to you as Angus and he started asking what you thought about me bein' gone so long." Jack sighed again. "And he... asked if I thought it took a toll on our relationship." He shook his head a little. "I basically told him to fuck off and... well. I kinda... broke his neck."

He went quiet after that and Mac studied his expression, then asked tentatively, "Is... is that it?" When Jack's eyes snapped open to stare at him incredulously, Mac continued, "I'm not trying to diminish it or anything, but... did you really think that I'd react badly?"

"Uh, yeah?" Jack looked at him like he had lost his mind. "I just told you I chased the guy down to kill him with my own hands instead of shooting him. That... doesn't bother you?"

"Jack, Kovacs was a _monster_ , you told me that yourself," Mac said softly, moving his hand up a little so that he could rub the cut on Jack's cheek with his thumb. "I don't care what you had to do, all that matters is that you're back with me. That cut, did he give you that?"

Jack nods. "Yeah, and this one," he said, pushing up the sleeve of his uniform shirt to reveal a puckered line of stitches. "Plus I'm kinda banged up."

"My point stands," Mac said, running his finger alongside the wound to Jack's arm, which looked like it was healing nicely. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I love you so much," Jack whispered, and hearing those words for the first time in three years almost made Mac break down. "I... I should've known you would be okay with all that, but... a part of me still can't believe you're not runnin' for the hills."

"I would never," Mac murmured, swallowing hard. "And I love you too. Just as much."

Jack leaned in to kiss him, gentle and sweet, and Mac melted into it, hardly able to believe how... _light_ he felt. He hadn't realized how much the baggage of the past three years had weighed him down until Jack had showed up on his doorstep. "Can we go to bed?" Jack mumbled against his mouth, dragging his lips over Mac's chin, then his jaw. "I think I'd like to do some cuddling with a little less clothes."

"How very forward of you," Mac teased, his breath hitching when Jack nipped on the birthmark below his jaw. "You haven't been back even for an hour and you're already trying to get me into your bed?"

"Well, our bed," Jack muttered against his skin, holding him close with one arm while his other hand started to wander. "And can you blame me? I missed everything about you."

Mac smiled, lacing his arms around Jack's neck. "Flattery normally wouldn't get you anywhere... but since I'm working on three years with no sex it might work this time."

Jack snorted out a laugh, hauling Mac in tight before he stood up, lifting him like he weighed nothing. "Good to know... and you can't tell me you didn't have _any_ fun while I was gone, even if it was by yourself."

"Duh, of course I did," Mac replied, biting down on Jack's earlobe as Jack started walking toward their room. "But it wasn't the same and it always made me miss you even more." He pressed his lips against Jack's ear. "Also... none of the dildos compare to you."

Jack groaned a little. "Jesus, I just got back and you're already trying to kill me." He set Mac down on the mattress and kicked off his boots, stripping off his flak jacket and shirt. That made Mac hesitate, and of course Jack noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," Mac instantly replied, but Jack only frowned and tilted his head. Sighing, Mac sat up and reached for Jack's hand, tugging him forward until he sat on the mattress next to him. "If you listened to the voicemails... do you remember the one from the hospital?" Jack nodded, looking worried, and Mac sighed again, nervously tugging on the sleeves of the hoodie he was wearing - Jack's hoodie, obviously. "Like I said, I... dragged my dad out of a huge fire after an explosion and... there's something you should know."

He wanted to say more, but the words didn't come right away, and Jack reached for his hands, stilling the incessant tugging. He picked up the right one first, inspecting the back, his frown deepening. "God, baby," he murmured, thumb rubbing over the faded scars before he kissed the back of Mac's hand. "This must've been so painful. Are they... do you have them on your arms?"

A part of Mac wanted to yank his hand out of Jack's grip, to hide, but he forced himself to stay still. "I... I do," he whispered, unable to meet Jack's gaze. "And they're... worse. I was able to get some laser treatments for my hands, so they're not as visible there, but... the burns on my arms were deeper."

Jack made a soft sound and kissed the back of Mac's other hand, then tugged him closer to kiss him on the lips. "I'm so sorry, darlin'," he said, nuzzling at Mac's cheek. "If you wanna keep the sweatshirt on that's fine... but you've gotta know I don't mind, Mac. No matter how they look, I'm still gonna think you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Mac squeezed Jack's hands, needing something to hold on to, and he chewed on his lower lip. "I... I want to take it off," he said quietly, hesitantly looking up to meet Jack's gaze. "I thought that... maybe you wouldn't like how they look."

Jack's face crumpled a little. "Mac, no," he started, kissing his knuckles again before he let go of Mac's hands. "Here, let me." He grabbed the hem of the hoodie, and when Mac made no move to stop him he started tugging it up. There was a t-shirt underneath it, plain gray, and as soon as the air hit Mac's arms he wanted to curl in on himself.

He resisted that urge, but he stayed completely still, not even daring to breathe. Once Jack tugged the hoodie over his head and tossed it aside, he leaned in for a kiss while one of his hands slowly slid up Mac's arm. "They're a part of you," he murmured when Mac tensed. "And I love you. All of you."

Mac relaxed marginally, letting his forehead bump against Jack's. "I love you too," he whispered, tears stinging his eyes. He allowed Jack to explore the uneven patches of his skin, which ran all the way up to his elbows. There were a few more burn scars scattered over his torso and legs, but none as disfiguring as his arms. "They really don't bother you?"

"Of course not," Jack murmured, pulling back to look at Mac. "Let me ask you something. Do my scars bother you?"

"What?" Mac frowned. "No, of course they don't, why would they- oh." He exhaled shakily. "I see your point. Your scars aren't... that bad, though."

"They ain't good either, baby," Jack said wryly, glancing down at himself for a second before he met Mac's eyes again. "Now how about we get naked and I show you exactly how much those scars don't bother me?"

Mac managed a small smile and dipped his head in a nod, wriggling out of his sweatpants. He wasn't wearing underwear and heard Jack suck in a sharp breath, and the next thing he knew he was being tackled to the mattress.

He made a surprised sound and then he couldn't help but laugh, suddenly feeling ten times lighter. Jack grinned at him and leaned down to crash their lips together before Mac could even stare at his chest and appreciate how hot Jack was. He hummed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders for a moment, simply holding him as the kiss deepened. Then his hands started roaming, tracing out every line of muscle and rough scar on Jack's back. The material of Jack's uniform pants slid against Mac's bare thighs and he moaned a little, already half-hard.

"Fuck, I missed this so much," Jack mumbled against Mac's lips, licking into his mouth again. Their tongues slid together perfectly as they made out for a while, and then Jack broke the kiss to take Mac's shirt off and then mouth at his jaw. His stubble was scratching his skin in the best way and Mac spread his legs a little, whimpering when the bulge in Jack's pants pressed against his cock.

"Oh god, Jack," Mac breathed out, nails raking over Jack's skin. Every touch from Jack against his body made him feel like he was on fire. "I... I may not last very long. Fair warning."

Jack lifted his head to look at him and reached for the button on his pants. "You really think you're only coming once tonight, baby?"

Mac shuddered under Jack's dark gaze, but he also smiled because he had missed this _so much_. "Well, I don't know," he replied, watching Jack kick down his pants which left him in just his underwear. "It's been so long, so I don't remember how we used to do things... you may need to refresh my memory."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! ♥
> 
> Here's some smut as a present for all of you ♥
> 
> K.

Jack grinned wolfishly, and objectively Mac knew why he should have been scared of him. He was a professional killer, a weapon cloaked in human skin, but Mac had never felt safer than he did when Jack loomed above him like he was right now. Their lips met in a kiss before Jack dragged his mouth down Mac's neck, biting at his throat. His hands were hot like brands as they traveled over Mac's sides to his thighs, tugging them apart so Jack could settle between them as he kissed down his chest.

Mac moaned when their cocks brushed together with just Jack's underwear between them. He whimpered and arched off the mattress when Jack licked over his nipple before tugging it with his teeth and sucking lightly, making him see stars. "You're so beautiful," Jack mumbled against his skin, moving to his other nipple and giving it some attention as well. "What do you want, baby?"

"I... _oh,_ Jack, I need you inside me," Mac said, his voice thready and cracking. He _ached,_ not just his cock, but deep inside. "Please, I... I'll do anything."

"Turn over," Jack commanded, and a pleasant jolt went through Mac at the authority in his tone. Their sex life had been everything from vanilla to pretty fucking kinky, and he had missed this, being able to... hand control over to someone else. To _Jack_.

Jack lifted himself up so that Mac could roll on his stomach, immediately covering his body with his own once Mac turned over. "Do you have any idea how often I dreamed about you?" Jack murmured in his ear, nipping on his earlobe before moving lower. "I didn't get a chance to sleep that much, but whenever I did... you were always there. It was pretty awkward whenever I woke up hard, but I managed."

Mac gasped when Jack ground his underwear-clad erection against his bare ass, the bulge somehow feeling bigger than he remembered. "I... dreamed about you too," he said shakily, arching into Jack's mouth when he kissed and sucked at the skin over his shoulder blades. "Sometimes when I woke up I'd still have a toy in me from the night before."

"Fuck, that's hot," Jack groaned against his skin, thrusting lightly against him again. "So... you used the dildos on yourself? Pretending it was me?"

"Y-yeah, I did," Mac stuttered out, hands twisting in the bedsheets near his head. "I always pretended it was you."

"You don't have to pretend now," Jack whispered, moving lower, and Mac realized where this was going when Jack nipped on one of his ass cheeks. "You've got me. For good."

Even though his hands were white-knuckled, the rest of Mac melted into a puddle of goo when he heard those words. "Good," he mumbled, hips twitching when Jack's hands spread his cheeks wide. "Because I don't want you anywhere else."

"And there's nowhere else I'd rather be," Jack said, low and gravelly. His breath was hot where it ghosted over Mac's hole. "I'm gonna stop talking now."

"You better," Mac muttered, moaning when Jack licked over his entrance. His hips twitched again, but Jack gripped him with both hands and pinned him down, his tongue pressing against his hole, moving and getting him wet enough to push the tip inside him. "Fuck," Mac choked out, squeezing his eyes shut, whimpering when Jack pulled back enough to nip on his other ass cheek before licking over him again.

"Come on, baby, I wanna hear you," Jack rasped out when he pulled back again, squeezing at his ass with both hands. "You think you can come like this?"

"God yes," Mac breathed out, keening high in his throat when Jack's tongue delved inside him again. He teased a finger around his rim a moment later. " _Please_ , Jack."

Jack groaned, his tongue and finger moving in and out of Mac. The stretch burned in the best way and Mac was so close he could almost taste it, the pleasant fire licking up his spine. "Oh god, _Jack_ ," Mac cried out, and this time Jack was actually _here_ when he shouted his name. "Jack, I'm- I'm gonna-"

Suddenly Mac got rolled on his back, his legs winding up over Jack's shoulders. His lips wrapped around Mac's cock, sinking to the base and sucking hard. "Oh, _ah_ , shit, shit, _shit!_ " Mac exclaimed, grasping hard at Jack's shoulders as he came down his throat, all that tight wet heat shocking his orgasm out of him. He shuddered as Jack's tongue worked him through the aftershocks, his finger still buried deep in his ass.

Jack let go of his cock when Mac whimpered softly and he kissed his thigh. "Delicious, as always," Jack said in that low voice that drove Mac crazy. "You've got lube?" Mac waved in the direction of his nightstand, unable to use words, and Jack pressed another kiss to his thigh before sliding from under his legs, pulling his finger out of him.

Mac's heart rate calmed and he remembered how to breathe while Jack rummaged around in the top drawer. He tossed the bottle of lube next to Mac's hip, then paused and raised an eyebrow. "You want anything from the bottom drawer? Or are we doing this the old fashioned way?"

Mac snorted at Jack's choice of words and he thought about it for a moment. "Just... you if that's okay?" he asked softly, not sure why he was feeling so shy about it. "Over the last three years my sex life had been reduced to the toys, so... I just want you."

"Of course it's okay," Jack murmured, moving back to Mac. "It's perfect." He leaned down to kiss Mac as though he wanted to prove his point, slotting back between his legs. He was still wearing those obnoxious boxer-briefs, but any complaint Mac had about them flew out the window when a slicked-up finger touched his entrance. "Easy, baby," Jack whispered, nipping at his earlobe. His other hand got under Mac's knee, pushing his leg up toward his chest. "Open up for me."

Mac whined softly, wrapping both arms around Jack and hugging him tightly. The first finger slid inside him easily since he was already stretched a little, but Mac still moaned, loving how it felt - so much better than his own fingers. "That's it, darlin'," Jack murmured, his breath hot against Mac's skin. "You're so amazing for me, so good."

The praise made Mac blush down to his chest, his eyes fluttering shut. "More?" he breathed out, plaintive and lost in sensation. "Please?"

Jack groaned a little against his throat, pushing a second finger in alongside the first. "I can't wait to get inside you," he rumbled out, scissoring those fingers apart. "You're gonna feel incredible."

Mac moaned in response, trying to rock against Jack's fingers, but he couldn't, not with his leg pushed up like that. Jack worked him open with those fingers, curling them after a moment, and Mac cried out when he found his prostate, pressing his fingertips against the spot. "So fucking gorgeous," Jack whispered, lifting his head to watch Mac with dark eyes. "Even more stunning that I remembered."

Mac was pinned under Jack's gaze in the best possible way. His spent cock twitched feebly and Jack didn't miss it, his fingers pushing in and out of Mac's body as his other hand wrapped around Mac's dick. That made Mac choke on a sob, and he couldn't help the next words that tumbled from his mouth: "I'm r-ready... please... f-fuck me."

"You sure?" Jack murmured, nudging Mac's prostate again and making him whimper. "I don't wanna hurt you."

"You'd... never do that," Mac whispered, meeting Jack's gaze when he looked at him, his eyes emotional. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby, so damn much," Jack said, clearing his throat. He stroked Mac's cock a few more times before letting go, pulling his fingers out and kissing Mac's cheek when he made an impatient sound. "Easy, easy," he mumbled, _finally_ taking off those annoying boxer-briefs, and Mac's breath actually hitched when he saw Jack's huge cock for the first time in three years. "My eyes are up here," Jack's teasing voice made him look up, and he tried glaring at him, but he wasn't sure it worked. "I've gotta ask, though... condoms?"

Mac shook his head. "No, I wanna... wanna feel you come inside me," he said, licking his lips as he watched a bead of precome drip down Jack's length. He didn't know where these filthy words were coming from, but he couldn't stop them as he stared into Jack's eyes. "I want you to fuck me until I scream, f-fill me up as m-many times as you can... and then..." He paused to moan, Jack's hand coming down to squeeze his slowly-filling cock. "Use the plug on me... so I can wake up to you fucking me some more."

"Holy fuck," Jack groaned, reaching for the lube again. "Merry fucking Christmas to me. I thought you didn't want any toys?"

"A p-plug is not a toy," Mac replied, his voice cracking, and he watched impatiently as Jack spread some lube over his cock. "I want you so bad, Jack."

"I want you too, baby," Jack murmured, bending Mac's legs at the knees until his feet were planted on the mattress and spreading his legs widely. "You good?"

Mac nodded. "Uh huh, I'm... I'm good." He kept himself open for Jack and reached for him at the same time, hands clutching at his shoulders. He reminded himself to breathe as the head of Jack's cock pressed against him, a long groan falling from his lips as he started to push inside. "Oh god, oh fuck, _Jack_... you're so big, shit." His eyes rolled back in his head as Jack's cock just _kept going_. It burned and he loved it, pain melting into pleasure as he got filled up. " _Yes_."

"Sweet lord," Jack choked out, kissing Mac's jaw and neck, moving until he bottomed out. He stilled then, burying his face in Mac's throat and panting against his skin, his breathing shaky and uneven. Mac wasn't doing any better, trying keep himself together, but his eyes filled with tears anyway because he had _missed_ Jack _so much_.

Jack nosed at his ear, lips pressing against it a second later. "I love you," he mumbled, forearms braced against the mattress. "And... and I missed you. Missed this."

"Me too," Mac managed to say, feeling a tear slip down his cheek as he pulled Jack impossibly closer. "You... move, please?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Jack whispered, sounding wrecked. "God, you feel so good." He drew his hips back and gently pushed forward again, setting up a steady rhythm, slowly rocking in and out of Mac. "Oh, baby, you're so amazing," Jack babbled against Mac's neck, sliding one arm between Mac's body and the mattress. "So beautiful."

Mac blinked rapidly, more tears sliding down his face. He didn't respond with words, digging his fingers into Jack's back instead, clenching around him every time he thrusted inside. Their bodies remembered how to move in sync even if it had been years since the last time, and soon the sounds of panting and skin smacking skin filled the room.

It was slow and sensual, and it felt absolutely incredible. Tears continued to silently roll down Mac's face and he got lost in the overwhelming pleasure, finally feeling like everything was right in the world again. He moaned brokenly when Jack ground into his prostate, lips moving against his skin, but then Jack must have felt the wetness on Mac's cheeks because he looked up and stilled, his eyes widening. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

Mac shook his head, sliding his hands around to frame Jack's face and tug him in for a kiss. "No, no, you didn't," he assured him, even as a little sob hiccupped past his lips. "I'm just... so _happy._ I didn't think... part of me was afraid I'd never get to have this again."

Jack's face twisted a little and he leaned down to kiss Mac again. "Me too," he whispered against his lips. "I... there were moments when I thought that you might've... moved on."

"Never," Mac murmured, his breath hitching when Jack started moving again. "I- I told you, you're... it for me."

Jack planted an awkward kiss on the corner of his mouth, noses bumping, and asked, "Marry me?"

"Yeah, okay," Mac replied, a slightly hysterical chuckle leaving him. "Maybe not right now, though." That made them both laugh, Jack's movements stopping yet again, and Mac hadn't felt this alive since the day Jack had left.

Jack grinned down at him and kissed his cheek, nuzzling at his skin for a moment before he rolled his hips down, grinding into him. He nipped at Mac's jaw and then buried his face in his neck again, moving a little faster, his thrusts getting harder. One of his arms was still under Mac's back, holding him close, and Mac returned the favor, tightening his arms around Jack's back and clinging to him as hard as he could. He wasn't hard again yet, but he could tell that Jack was close from the way he started to tremble, the noises emerging from this throat getting ragged.

"C'mon, babe," Mac encouraged, sliding a hand up to fist it in the short hair at the top of Jack's head. "Come for me... I wanna feel it."

Jack whimpered brokenly, squeezing Mac with his arm so tight it almost hurt, but Mac didn't mind. Jack's rhythm faltered, his thrusts getting erratic, and after a moment he came with a muffled shout, his back arching a little. His hips kept twitching as he pumped his come into Mac, filling him up, and he continued to make those broken sounds, his face still hidden in Mac's neck.

Mac shushed him gently, running his fingers through his hair and holding him close. He pressed little kisses to Jack's temple and cheek as he came down from his high, content to lie there until Jack got himself together. He was hard again, but that didn't matter, a far-off sensation that Mac could ignore for now.

"Holy fuck, that was... incredible," Jack eventually mumbled, lips moving against Mac's neck. "So damn intense it nearly killed me."

"I'm glad it didn't," Mac murmured teasingly. "That wouldn't be fun."

Jack snorted and lifted his head, smiling softly at Mac, his dark eyes full of affection. "I meant what I said earlier," he said, searching Mac's face. "I know that I didn't get on one knee, or that I didn't get you a ring, but... I want to marry you."

"I was hoping that wasn't the endorphins talking," Mac said wryly, tilting up his chin so Jack could kiss him. "I want to marry you too, Jack. Especially after hearing that Russ got engaged before me and didn't tell anyone."

"Yeah... I'm still kinda in shock over that whole mess," Jack admitted, settling his chin on Mac's chest. "So... destination wedding? Or something simple?"

Mac thought about it for a moment and then grinned widely. "We could get married on your ranch," he suggested, and Jack's eyes widened. "It's beautiful there, so it would be amazing... plus there's less people to fly over there from LA than the other way around. It would be easier."

"That's an awesome idea," Jack said, kissing Mac's collarbone. "When were you thinkin'?"

"Maybe in spring? It would be warm but not too warm, we could make a long weekend out of it." Mac bit his lower lip, squeezing around Jack's still-hard cock with intent. "But how about we plan things later? I'm pretty sure we were in the middle of something."

"Are we now?" Jack asked teasingly, purposefully rubbing his stubble against Mac's collarbone. One of his hands slid down Mac's side, grabbing his thigh and squeezing it before hitching it over his hip. That made his cock shift a little inside Mac and he groaned quietly, gripping Jack's shoulders tightly when he thrusted lightly into him.

His next few thrusts got progressively harder, building up a steady rhythm as Jack searched for his prostate. When he found it Mac threw his head back and cried out, hands dropping to the mattress. He allowed Jack to move him however he wanted, and soon found himself folded like a pretzel, both knees pushed toward his chest and legs in the air.

It felt different this time and Mac could already tell this time Jack was in the mood for something rough... and Mac was all for it. The pace was much quicker than before, making Mac breathless right away, and he cried out again when Jack slammed into his prostate even harder. He ground into that spot for a moment, making Mac whimper, and then Jack grinned down at him before shifting him again and hooking Mac's legs over his shoulders.

The change in position meant Jack reached impossibly deep inside him, allowing him to strike Mac's prostate every time he thrusted into him. "Such a good boy," Jack panted out, causing Mac's stomach to swoop. Bracing one hand on the mattress, his other one slid over Mac's chest before it rests against his throat. "You're all mine, aren't you?"

"All yours," Mac replied, shuddering when he felt the weight of Jack's hand on his windpipe. "Only yours."

"Good answer," Jack growled, pounding into Mac fast and hard. He waited until he found his prostate again and when Mac was about to cry out in pleasure Jack tightened his fingers around his throat, cutting off his air.

Mac's eyes rolled back in his head and he arched into it, trying to breathe even though he knew he couldn't. His muscles turned warm and pliant and his cock twitched, craving release that Jack wasn't going to give him yet. He gasped when Jack let him suck in a gulp of air, continuing to fuck him mercilessly.

"Good- good to know you still love it as much as I remembered," Jack panted, slamming hard into Mac and choking him at the same time. Mac's lips parted around a soundless cry, hands twisting in the bedsheets, and this time his vision almost went dark before Jack finally let him breathe.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, with Jack fucking him hard and fast, choking him every now and then... and Mac made a shocked sound when suddenly Jack stopped moving, pushing Mac's legs off his shoulders and pulling out. "Hands and knees," Jack growled before Mac could ask what was going on. " _Now_."

Mac scrambled to comply, so turned on he could hardly breathe, and he rolled over and pushed himself up on his forearms, knees spread wide. He was rewarded with a hard smack to his right ass cheek, and he moaned wantonly as the head of Jack's cock brushed over his hole. "Attaboy," he said, slowly pushing back inside. "Gonna make you come all over yourself, just like this."

Mac whimpered and then howled in pleasure when after stilling for a second Jack pushed the rest of the way inside in one smooth thrust. "Fuck, _yes,_ " Jack groaned, squeezing both of Mac's ass cheeks with his hands before moving them to grip his hips. "You're so damn tight, every single time."

"O-Only for you," Mac grated out, clenching around him to prove his point. "Jack... please, I... I need to come."

"I know you do, darlin'," Jack murmured, smacking his ass again. Then he reached around and gripped the base of Mac's cock. "But it ain't gonna happen yet. Not until I fill you up again."

Mac whined pitifully, pressing his face against one of his forearms, moaning when Jack spanked him again. "Don't come," he warned, squeezing the base of Mac's cock once before letting go. "Not until I let you, got it?" Mac moaned, but he nodded, shuddering when Jack gripped his hips again. "Good boy," Jack murmured, drawing his hips back... and slamming into Mac just as hard as before.

Mac cried out loudly, tears streaming down his cheeks once more at the immense, all consuming pleasure he felt. He fisted his hands in the sheets, everything clenched tight in an effort not to come, no matter how much he wanted to. Jack continued to fuck him like a well-oiled machine before his rhythm started to falter, and then he grabbed Mac's hips so tightly they bruised and hauled him backward, coming hard inside him.

Mac made a broken sound, landing on Jack's chest when he lied down on his back, and he stared at the ceiling, moaning when Jack's hips continue twitching, filling him up. "So good for me, baby, you're so amazing," Jack mumbled in a hoarse voice, sliding one hand up Mac's chest and resting it on his throat again. His other hand wrapped around his cock, stroking him slowly. "Do you want to come?"

"Y-Yeah," Mac stuttered out, something close to a sob escaping him when Jack's thumb rubbed over the head. "Please, Jack, _please_ let me come."

"You've been so good," Jack said against his ear, squeezing his throat lightly. "Such a good boy." He snapped his hips up, drilling Mac with his still-hard cock. "But I'm not done. Do I get to fuck you even if I make you come? Or should I make you wait?"

"Please, _please,_ " Mac begged, not sure how much more he could take before he exploded. "You c-can keep fucking me, as long as you w-want, but please, l-let me come-"

"Shh, okay, okay," Jack murmured, stroking Mac a little faster and choking him when Mac moaned. "You can come, baby. Let go."

Mac let out a hoarse noise and came so hard his vision whited out, hot stickiness splattering over his abs and chest. He twitched into the motion of Jack's hand as he worked him through it, and once he was oversensitive Jack ran his fingers through the mess on his stomach. He brought them up to Mac's lips, smearing them white before forcing them to part.

Mac made a soft sound when Jack's fingers slid into his mouth and he circled them with his tongue before sucking lightly. Jack groaned in his ear, his hips moving again, grinding into Mac. Jack used his knees to spread Mac's legs and then started fucking him again, hard, but slower than before.

Mac sucked harder on Jack's fingers in response, groaning when he pushed a third one into his mouth along with more come. He hurt all over in the best possible way, and when Jack's hand left his throat to tease the head of his limp cock Mac _wails_ around Jack's fingers, but didn't tell him to stop. "Gonna make you come again," Jack mumbled, grinding into his prostate once more. "Even if your cock doesn't want to."

Mac whimpered softly around Jack's fingers, and then Jack gently rolled them on their sides, his fingers slipping out of Mac's mouth. He stayed buried deep inside him and he slid one hand to grasp Mac's thigh and push it up to his chest as he started fucking him slowly, his other arm holding Mac close.

" _Oh_ ," was the only sound Mac could make, his mouth dropping open and staying that way. He drooled a little as Jack's cock works in and out of him, pressing into his prostate and making little bursts of electricity spark through his body. There was another touch to his soft cock, Jack's hand squeezing him hard, making him sob and squeal. " _Jack,_ oh fuck, d-don't s-stop."

"I won't, don't worry," Jack whispered in his ear, stroking Mac slowly and making him whine brokenly. At the same time he started fucking him a bit faster, his hips thrusting smoothly in and out of him, and Mac absently wonders if he was going to pass out once they were done.

"I... even if I b-black out," Mac started, his voice gone high and shaky, "d-don't stop. Want a-all your come. Use the p-plug." Jack let out a loud groan, snapping forward, stabbing Mac's prostate and staying there, and something inside Mac bent and snapped like a rubber band. " _Jack!_ " he screamed, heat bursting through him as a pathetic little stream of come trickled from his cock.

Jack fucked him through it, working him with his hand at the same time, and while Mac didn't pass out he slumped in Jack's hold, so exhausted that he couldn't even move. Everything ached pleasantly and he was so oversensitive, but he wanted Jack to come inside him again and fill him up. Jack kissed his shoulder and hugged him tightly, burying his face in Mac's hair as he started to move _again,_ chasing his release.

He grunted against the back of Mac's head, animal noses causing goosebumps to break out over Mac's skin. He was bruised just about everywhere Jack had touched him and he loved it, loved the idea of this moment being etched into his skin. He felt Jack's cock twitch deep inside him and knew he was close, couldn't wait to feel that rush of heat fill him up so completely.

Jack let out a low groan, squeezing Mac even tighter, and then he made a few high and desperate sounds before he started coming. He continued rocking in and out of Mac as he pumped his come inside him, and there was _so much_ of it that Mac felt like he was going to burst. It felt amazing, though, and he whimpered softly when Jack stilled, his come leaking around his finally soft cock.

They both slumped down into the mattress for a moment, totally spent. Jack's face was still buried in Mac's hair, and when he spoke his words were muffled but understandable: "I can't believe I went three goddamn years without this."

"Mhmm," Mac hummed, not able to form words yet. He didn't object when Jack rolled him on his stomach as he pulled out, reaching over him to rummage around in the nightstand.

A moment later he felt the pressure of the buttplug against his entrance and he made a soft sound when Jack slowly pushed it inside him. "You're still up for this, right?" Jack murmured, leaning down to kiss his shoulder. "Because I can take it out, no big deal."

"N-no, it's fine," Mac mumbled, his voice hoarse. "I like how it feels."

"Okay, baby." Jack planted kisses over his shoulder and neck, nuzzling behind his ear. "Let me know if you change your mind." Mac hummed a response and watched through half-lidded eyes as Jack pushed off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Water ran, and a moment later he came back with a warm washcloth, which he used to clean Mac up first.

Mac's heart fluttered happily and he shuddered pleasantly, letting Jack roll him and position him however he wanted. After he was done cleaning them up, Jack crawled on the bed and gathered Mac in his arms, tugging until Mac was sprawled on top of him. "You alright?" he asked in a whisper, stroking one hand up and down Mac's spine.

"Mhmm," Mac said again, burying his face in Jack's throat and sighing contentedly. "I'm perfect."

"Well, we already knew that," Jack teased, his fingers coming up to card through Mac's hair. "But seriously, do you feel okay? I didn't hurt you?"

"I'm okay, I promise," Mac said softly, smiling against Jack's skin. He remembered Jack asking him that a lot after they had started dating and sleeping together, and how with some time Jack had stopped being so scared of hurting him, but it seemed that those three years apart had awoken those fears in Jack. It was okay, though, Mac didn't mind reassuring him at all. "I would've told you if you'd hurt me."

Jack grunted an acknowledgement, fingers trailing over Mac's shoulders before they dropped lower, running absently over the scars on his arm. "I'm realizing now I probably could've proposed a little more elegantly," he commented, kissing the top of Mac's head. "Maybe at New Years with a ring or something."

"It was perfect," Mac murmured, nuzzling at Jack's throat. "Very us. Not sure if you remember, but we're kind of known for doing grand gestures at the... less than ideal time."

Jack chuckled. "Oh yes, I definitely remember," he said, sounding amused. "How could I forget that time when I told you I loved you for the first time while we were getting shot at?"

"Or me asking you to move in with me in the middle of defusing that huge bomb?" Mac pointed out, grinning widely. "I guess that's our thing."

"I guess it is," Jack said, kissing his forehead this time. "And quite frankly I wouldn't have it any other way." He continued to pet Mac's arm, not deterred by the burns in the slightest, and Mac's heart swelled with affection. "Now... did you really want me to fuck you awake on Christmas morning? Or was that your dick talking?"

Mac tilted his head enough to look at Jack. "Oh, I was serious. It's not like we haven't done that before." He raised one eyebrow. "Isn't that one of our Christmas traditions?"

Jack barked out a laugh. "I guess it is," he said, still chuckling. "Although we changed things up a little this year - I actually _turned off_ Die Hard earlier!"

"I noticed," Mac said wryly. "But I guess we _can_ do things a bit differently this time, it's way more special after all. But I still want you to fuck me awake in the morning. The others aren't getting here until dinner time anyway."

"So I get you all to myself for the day?" Jack asked, grinning when Mac nodded. "Awesome." His eyes went wide, panic bleeding into his expression. "Oh shit, I didn't get you a gift! Or one for Riley- "

"Jack," Mac interjected gently, kissing him on the lips to stop the stream of words. "You being back is the best present any of us could've asked for."

"If you say so," Jack said dubiously. "I'm still gonna get you something. Other than an engagement ring because I'm gettin' that too."

"You don't have to," Mac protested. "If we're getting married in spring then I'd only wear it for a few months, there's no point in you spending money on a ring." This time his eyes widened. "Shit, you being back might be a great gift for us, but _I_ don't have anything for _you._ "

"Hey, the same rules apply," Jack pointed out with a soft smile, pushing Mac's hair back from his face. "The best gift I could get is being back here with you. And I _will_ be buying that ring, although maybe what I can do is buy a set and we can both just wear them early."

"Sounds like cheating," Mac said, unable to stop grinning. "But I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Of that I have no doubt," Jack murmured, leaning for a soft kiss. "Now, how tired are you? Because I was thinkin' you could tell me how everyone is doing and how Desi managed to fit in?"

"That's an awfully long story," Mac warned, pinching Jack's side just because he could. "You sure you're up for it, old man?"

"I just railed you three times and you're calling me old?" Jack retorted incredulously. "Some mouth you've got. And yeah, I'm up for it if you are."

"You're going to start whining about being hungry soon," Mac pointed out, pushing himself up a little. "You always get hungry if we don't go to sleep immediately after sex," he added when Jack stared at him with an indignant look on his face. "So how about you go make yourself that sandwich and I check on the fire to make sure our living room doesn't burn down?"

"As always, you're right," Jack said, rolling out of bed and raising an eyebrow at Mac. "Can you walk?"

"I sure as hell hope so," Mac grumbled, but despite his best efforts his knees did shake when he stood. "Make me a sandwich too? And maybe grab some sodas?"

"You got it," Jack said, but he didn't move, looking at Mac in concern. "You're sure you don't want me to hold you up?"

"I'll be fine," Mac muttered, waving him off. "Go, I'll be right there." Jack shot him a dubious look, but when Mac glared at him fondly he walked out of the bedroom. Mac followed him a moment later, a little slower, and he headed straight for the living room, happy to see the fire was slowly dying down.

He put out the last of it and double checked the front door before he grabbed Jack's duffle bag and brought it into the bedroom. Then he headed back into the kitchen and smiled when he saw Jack building two sandwiches that were laughably tall. "Those are gonna fall over, you know," he warned, chuckling a little. "No structural integrity."

"Hush, you and your structural integrity," Jack mumbled, the tip of his tongue peeking out between his teeth as he clearly concentrated on their sandwiches. "It's gonna be just great."

"It's not if I end up eating my sandwich off the floor," Mac pointed out, walking up behind and wrapping his arms around his middle. They were still naked and Mac sighed when he felt how _warm_ Jack was, basically a radiator in a human form.

"You only missed me for my hot body, didn't you?" Jack teased, like he was reading Mac's mind - which at this point he probably was. "What did you do to keep warm while I was gone?"

"Wore your clothes, mostly," Mac mumbled into his shoulder. "And piled all kinds of blankets on my bed."

"Sounds adorable," Jack said, a smile audible in his voice. "Did you build a blanket fort?"

"No, but that sounds fun," Mac muttered. "You done with the food?"

"Jesus, you're impatient," Jack replied, shaking his head a little. "Admit it, you get hungry after sex just like I do."

"Well, it's only a natural reaction," Mac started in his professor voice, snickering when Jack elbowed him in protest. He stepped back when Jack turned around with the plates, and decided to help by grabbing the sodas. They took it all back to the bed and clambered under the covers, and when Mac took the first bite of his sandwich he groaned. "Fuck, that's good."

"Good to know I haven't lost my touch," Jack mumbled around his own sandwich. "And they didn't fall down! Told you it would be great."

"Fine, fine," Mac muttered, too hungry to argue, plus... Jack had a point, the sandwiches had made it to their bedroom without dropping on the floor. "So... you wanted me to tell how everyone's doing, right?"

"Yeah, totally," Jack said, still eating like a starving man. "I mean, I got the gist of some of it from your voicemails, and Dez did call me a couple times in the beginning."

"Yeah, that's when she was flirting with me," Mac said offhandedly, taking a sip of his Coke. "Then somebody told her I was with you... and eventually she and Riles hit it off."

"Wait, what?" Jack asked incredulously, and he actually stopped eating, so that was a big deal. "She was _flirting_ with you?" He tilted his head. "Wait, _somebody_ told her? Why didn't you?"

"I might've... not realized she was flirting?" Mac replied, wincing a little, and he rolled his eyes when Jack starts laughing. "Sure, go ahead, laugh all you want. Anyway, I think it was Matty who told her... Desi couldn't look me in the eye for two weeks after that."

"Must've made work awkward," Jack commented, popping open a bag of chips he had gotten from... somewhere.

Mac snorted. "Yeah, you could say that. But if you want awkward, you should've seen things when Russ first bought the Phoenix. I was working as a professor at UCLA, and he stalked me across campus."

Jack popped a chip into his mouth, chewing on it with an unimpressed look on his face. "Hearing that doesn't make me want to punch him any less," he grumbled. "But Devers made me promise I wouldn't do that."

"I punched him a few times during our undercover ops if that helps?" Mac offered, smiling when Jack nodded a little. "Anyway, you already know what happened with Codex and all that... my dad's okay, he made a full recovery even though things weren't pretty for a while."

"That's great," Jack said sincerely. "I mean it. I know me and your old man didn't always get along, but I'm glad he's all good." He offered Mac the chips and smiled when he took a handful. "So did he and Matty ever get together or what?"

"Oh yeah," Mac said, nodding his head. "They even live together now."

"Wow, it must be serious then." Jack grinned a little. "You know how Matty is about her space."

"Oh, I know," Mac replied, returning the smile. "My dad told me he's still afraid she's going to kick him out... especially since he blew her car out when it was in the driveway. And he did something to her office, but he didn't want to tell me what that was."

Jack snickered. "That sounds like you and it's way more amusing than it should be. How's Bozer?"

"Eh, he's okay," Mac says, shrugging his shoulders. "Leanna is on a deep cover operation for the CIA, and she hasn't been allowed to contact him. I think he's a little down, but I'm sure he'll be bringing pastrami with him when he comes back from visiting his family."

"Oh god no," Jack groaned. "This is still a thing?"

"I'm pretty sure it's always going to be a thing," Mac replied, shrugging again. "So yeah, I think that's everybody because I already told you that Riley's doing okay."

"I can't wait to see her," Jack said quietly, smiling softly. "It's been so long... I wondered if I should call her, but I think I wanna surprise her tomorrow."

"She'll love that," Mac murmured, smiling fondly. "We... got a lot closer while you were gone. I wasn't sure that was possible, but after she saved my ass when I went after Codex... I couldn't believe she followed me even when she didn't know what I had planned."

"I would've done the exact same thing," Jack said easily, no hesitation. "She trusted you no matter what. Just like everyone else should've."

"It wasn't that simple," Mac argued, because... this is what he did, he was used to taking all the blame. "I did break out a Codex operative, suffocated Russ and Desi a little-"

Jack leaned in and kissed him quiet, a quick smack of lips that tasted a little too much like ham and cheese. "Mac, stop. You did what you had to do in an ugly situation. Suffocating them or whatever you did probably didn't make them fond of you, but I'm sure you felt guilty about it. The important thing is that you guys stopped Codex and the Phoenix is doing its thing again... even if Taylor's money is keeping the lights on."

"It is, but even though he owns the Phoenix we all know Matty is actually in charge," Mac said, smiling a little. "So you don't have to worry about taking orders from Russ, Matty is still the one bossing us around."

"Strangely, I actually missed that," Jack replied, setting his plate on the nightstand once he was done with his sandwich. "You think she'll give me my job back?"

"Are you kidding? Of course she will!" Mac put his plate down too and wrapped his arms around Jack, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "She loves you, even if she'd never admit it, and she missed you just as much as the rest of us." He frowned a little. "I just hope Desi... stays. Her job was supposed to be a temporary thing, even if it kind of spiraled."

"What else would she do?" Jack wondered, wrapping one arm around Mac's shoulders as Mac curled up against his side. "Especially since she's with Riley _and_ living with her, and it's not like she'd be interested in getting a normal job or anything."

"She worked as a bouncer while we were shut down," Mac said, snuggling into Jack's warm and shoving his cold feet under Jack's calves. "She was good at it."

"I bet she was." Jack chuckled a little. "She's always liked tossing losers around like sacks of flour." He didn't seem to mind that Mac's feet were like ice cubes, only pulled the blankets up over both of them. "What did Riles do?"

Mac snorted. "She worked at this IT store," he said, barely stifling laughter because he still found that amusing. "She was helping people recover data after a virus deleted it when they clicked on the link they got in an email, thinking it was porn."

"Oh Jesus," Jack muttered, chuckling a little. "She hated that, didn't she?"

"Big time," Mac confirmed, pushing his face into Jack's neck once more, warming up his nose. "She leapt over the desk when I told her we were getting the band back together, so to speak." He yawned. "Think we could go to sleep now? Once I have my midnight sandwich I'm ready for a nap."

"I see you still turn into a koala after sex and food, good to know," Jack teased, sliding down until he was lying on his back, Mac curled up into his side, all of his limbs wrapped around Jack. "Hang on, baby, lemme just turn off the lights and then you can cling to me all you want."

"Hurry up," Mac mumbled, smiling a little when Jack laughed. He made a contented sound when Jack finally switched off the lamp and put both arms around him. He shifted a little, groaning when the plug in his ass made itself known. "Wasn't kidding about you fucking me awake."

Jack groaned, holding him tighter. "Jesus, you're gonna be the death of me," he murmured. "Hey, it's after midnight. Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas," Mac mumbled against Jack's skin, all of his muscles relaxing as he pretty much melted against Jack. "M'so happy you're back. A Christmas miracle."

"It really is a miracle," Jack agreed, kissing the top of his head. "And I'm so glad I'm here. All that time at the airport was definitely worth it." He rubbed Mac's back, and that soothing rhythm helped lull Mac to sleep. Right before he drifted off he heard Jack tell him he loved him, and he swore he whispered the words back without knowing it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> I bet you didn't expect the next chapter so soon, huh? :) 
> 
> There's one more after this one and I've got it all ready for you, so expect the final chapter either tomorrow or the day after that :)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> K.

The first thing Jack became aware of when he started waking up was how... warm and peaceful he felt, and that instantly put him on high alert because he wasn't sure why this was happening. His eyes snapped open and for a second he was confused as hell, but then he recognized the ceiling above him and all of the tension drained out of his body. He had come home last night, he was _home_ , the mission was finally over and Kovacs was just a memory that eventually would fade.

That was tough for him to believe considering the amount of blood, sweat, and tears he had put into the Kovacs mission, but when he turned his head and saw Mac sleeping next to him it got cemented in his mind. His fiancé (fiancé!) looked like an angel, sprawled out on his stomach, face slack and peaceful, one hand curled around Jack's bicep even though they weren't cuddling like they had when they had gone to sleep.

Slowly, not wanting to wake Mac up, Jack rolled on his side, allowing himself a moment to just... watch Mac sleep. He realized it might have been a little creepy, but he didn't give a damn - he had been gone for almost three years, he could stare at his sleeping fiancé as long as he wanted.

Mac was totally out, his mouth a little slack and his eyes twitching every once in a while under their lids. Other than the movement of his back to signal he was breathing he stayed still, even when Jack reached out to tuck some hair behind his ear. When he ran his hand down Mac's spine, however, he gave a little twitch of his hips, and a quick glance told Jack that he was hard.

Jack smiled, remembering what they had talked about last night, and he shifted closer, kissing Mac's shoulder as his hand slid lower to Mac's ass. His fingers brushed over the plug between Mac's ass cheeks and Mac's breathing hitched a little, his hips twitching again, but he didn't wake up. It took much more to wake him up, Jack knew that since they used to do this quite often and Jack was having the time of his life every time.

There was just something about the idea that Mac trusted him enough to let him do whatever he wanted to him while he was asleep that turned Jack on to no end. It helped that Mac was a naturally heavy sleeper when he was truly relaxed, and Jack was honored and humbled to be the person that put him in that state. He wriggled the plug a little more and nipped at Mac's shoulder blade, slowly kissing his way over his back before climbing on top of him.

He didn't put all of his weight on Mac, not wanting to crush him and cause him to wake up from the lack of air - though he would probably love it, that kinky bastard - and buried his face in Mac's neck, breathing in the smell of sunshine he had missed so damn much. He was already hard and he moaned quietly when he ground lightly against one of Mac's ass cheek, one of his hands sliding lower to fiddle with the plug again.

Mac mumbled something unintelligible into his pillow and his hips twitched again. Goosebumps broke out on his skin when Jack licked and nipped at the back of his neck, and absently Jack wondered if he could make Mac come like this while he was still asleep. Deciding he wanted to find out, Jack slipped a hand underneath Mac's body and wrapped it around his cock.

He needed to shift and turn Mac slightly so that he could stroke him without the mattress being in the way, and he started at a lazy pace, his grip not too tight. Mac let out the softest moan, his hips moving again, and his hands twitched where they were resting on the pillow near Mac's head.

"God, look at you," Jack whispered against his skin, keeping his voice low and soothing. He didn't want to wake Mac up, not yet, but he _had_ to make some kind of noise or he was going to go crazy. "So sweet and relaxed for me. But you want it so bad, don't you? You want me inside you?"

Mac didn't reply, obviously, but that was okay, Jack didn't need him to speak up to know this was what Mac wanted. He might have wondered and worried about that when they had first started dating, but after being with Mac for so long Jack knew exactly what he liked, and Jack fucking him while he was asleep definitely belonged in that category.

They had talked about it at length, and Mac had told Jack that he liked it not only because it was an act of submission - which he had never been good with except when he was with Jack - but because he usually dreamed about Jack fucking him anyway. So when Jack completed the act, it made him feel an even more intense pleasure when he woke up.

A soft groan broke Jack out of his thoughts and he concentrated on stroking Mac a little faster before he let go. Mac whined in protest, but Jack shushed him quietly, deciding he couldn't wait any longer and needed to get inside him as soon as possible. He reached for the plug and moved it around before he slowly pulled it out, his dick twitching when he saw his come from last night leak out.

"Oh god," Jack murmured, rubbing his thumb over Mac's stretched hole. "Beautiful. And all mine." He spat into his palm and stroked the wetness over his dick, just to be certain he wouldn't hurt Mac. Then he lined himself up and pushed just enough for the head to pop inside, groaning quietly at the heat and tightness. He didn't thrust in right away, choosing to tease himself a little.

It was a little bit masochistic, he was aware, but he just wanted to... savor this. While he had been away there were moments when Jack had thought he would never get to have this again, so he suspected it was going to be a while before he stopped getting so damn emotional about sex with Mac. "Fuck," he whispered, pushing inside a bit more and pressing his face between Mac's shoulder blades. "So perfect."

He braced his weight on his knees and one forearm, his other hand squeezing at Mac's hip. It was already bruised in the shape of Jack's hand, and that was another thing Mac had had to tell Jack he enjoyed when Jack had freaked out about potentially hurting him.

Another inch of his cock slipped into Mac's body and it made Jack quiver. He had to force himself to breathe, slowly pushing forward, because that tightness and heat were almost too overwhelming. "Jack," Mac mumbled, and for a second Jack thought he woke up, but no - he was still out, and the fact that he _knew_ he was with Jack even when he was sleeping... it almost made Jack slam into him and roughly chase his release right away.

Instead he stifled a moan and continued his glacial entrance into Mac. He got the hand that was on Mac's hip underneath him, squeezing his cock as his hips were finally flush with Mac's pert little ass. Mac let out another quiet moan and squeezed around him, dick twitching in Jack's grasp.

"You're so desperate for this, aren't you?" Jack mumbled against Mac's skin, squeezing the base of his cock again before he let go. "You want my cock so bad." Unable to draw it out any longer, he braced both forearms on the mattress and he ground into Mac, groaning when his cock shifted inside him.

He pulled back and thrusted forward again, keeping his movements slow and gentle. He wanted Mac to sleep for as long as possible - that being said, he still ground into Mac's prostate each time he pushed inside. It was so easy to get lost in the tight clutch of Mac's body that Jack almost didn't notice when Mac started making high, broken sounds in the back of his throat.

It was a clear sign that he was close, and Jack watched him for a moment, mesmerized by the look of pleasure on his face. Mac's hands were squeezing the pillow under his head every time Jack nudged his prostate and his hips twitching, grinding his cock against the mattress. "You're so beautiful," Jack whispered, kissing the back of Mac's neck. "Come on, baby."

" _Jack,_ " Mac breathed out, a low groan leaving him as he came. He clenched so tight around Jack's cock that it hurt, squeezing like he wanted to milk him dry. He whimpered when Jack continued to fuck him, a little faster now, so close to coming but not quite there yet. He needed something else... and that was when he slide his hand under Mac's neck.

He kept up the pace, rhythmically thrusting in and out of Mac, and the next time he found his prostate, he ground into that spot, tightening his fingers around Mac's throat. Mac tensed underneath him, his body jolting a little as he clenched around Jack even tighter, but he didn't wake up. Jack groaned brokenly, his thrusts getting more frantic, and after he let Mac breathe for a moment, he choked him again.

The tightening around his cock made Jack come with a muffled shout against Mac's shoulder. He twitched deep inside him, pumping out everything he had. He pulled out once he was done and replaced his cock with three of his fingers. "You're so wet, darlin'," Jack whispered, letting Mac breathe before choking him once more. "Gonna keep making you come, make you feel so good."

Mac's lips parted around a soundless moan, trembling a little, and for a second Jack thought he was going to wake up when he let him breathe, but Mac stayed asleep, whimpering when Jack pressed his fingers against his prostate. It was incredible that he hadn't woken up yet and Jack wondered what exactly Mac was dreaming about right now.

"Jack, so... so good," Mac whimpered out, hole twitching around Jack's fingers. "Feels... so good." He wriggled and squeezed, and Jack didn't choke him again, curious about what he might say next. "Want... all your f-fingers." He flushed bright red from his cheeks to his chest, just like he would have if he had been awake. "Fist me."

"Oh fuck," Jack groaned, his spent cock twitching. He stared at Mac's flushed body, his heart pounding in his chest as he repeated Mac's words in his head. They had done this a couple times before, but always when Mac was awake... and always after Jack had made sure, like, ten times that Mac was sure about that. He couldn't do that now, but he figured if Mac didn't like something he would let him know, so he carefully added the fourth finger, shushing when Mac whined loudly.

"That's it, baby, you're doing so good," Jack whispered, his free hand coming around to rub between Mac's shoulder blades. He rocked those four fingers inside Mac, getting him used to the additional stretch. "You're always so good for me, aren't you? You take it so well." He carefully folded his thumb in against his palm and began putting gentle pressure against Mac's rim with the width of his hand. "Nice and easy, darlin'. Let me in."

Mac made a high and desperate sound, fingers clenched around the pillowcase and tugging on it as his hips twitched. Jack could see his eyeballs moving under his eyelids, and he wondered if that meant Mac was going to wake up soon. Not wanting to hurt him, he reached for the nightstand where he had put the lube last night and he poured some on his hand, putting a little more pressure on Mac's entrance.

Mac shuddered and fisted his hands tighter in the fabric, and all of a sudden Jack's hand slipped deeper inside him. The widest part wasn't in yet but that was fine, they had all the time in the world. "Jack?" Mac's voice asked, muzzy with sleep but very much aware. "Is your hand in my ass?"

Jack stared down at him for a moment... and then burst out laughing. He forced himself to keep his hand still as he shook with laughter, his lungs burning. "Yeah, it- it is," he choked out, rubbing his eyes with his free hand when he felt himself tear up. "Oh Jesus," he said once he finally calmed down, taking a few deep breaths. "To be fair, you asked for this... while you were asleep, but still."

Mac laughed too, even as his face burned with embarrassment. "I believe it," he said, glancing at Jack over his shoulder as he clenched down on Jack's hand. "And while it feels amazing... I think I'd kind of like to ride you."

"Well, I ain't gonna say no to that," Jack said, grinning widely. Slowly, he pulled his hand out of Mac, wiping it on the bedsheets since they would have to be changed anyway... and before he could do anything else he found himself flat on his back with Mac straddling his hips. "You're way too fast considering you just woke up."

Mac grinned at him, mischief glinting in those beautiful blue eyes, and Jack had never been more in love. He leaned down to brush their lips together as he took hold of Jack's cock. "I might have been awake a little longer than you realized," he whispered, darting his tongue out to lick Jack's chin. "I'm pretty good at pretending to be asleep."

"You... you little bastard," Jack gasped when Mac started stroking him slowly, clearly planning on driving him insane.

"Now, is that the way to talk to your fiancé?" Mac asked, still grinning, and Jack's heart stuttered. "I don't think so, babe."

Jack growled and slid a hand into Mac's hair, tugging him in for another kiss. He noticed that Mac was hard again, so he returned the teasing, dragging his nail up Mac's length. That earned him a shivering moan, and Mac raised himself up on his knees, lining up Jack's cock with his hole.

Jack groaned when Mac started sinking down on him, his cock sliding into him easily. Mac threw his head back, moaning loudly, and he braced his hands on Jack's chest, scratching his skin. "Fuck, Jack," he gasped, stilling once Jack's cock was entirely inside him. "Feels so good."

"I know, baby," Jack said, his voice cracking as he squeezed at Mac's hips and thighs. "You always feel amazing for me." They both moaned when Mac rocked his hips, clenching tightly around the length inside him. "That's it, darlin', make me come. God, you're so gorgeous."

Even though Jack had told him that a million times, the compliment still made Mac flush pink. He didn't reply and instead he slammed his hips down harder, making Jack see stars, and then he picked up the pace, bouncing up and down in his lap.

The bed creaked ominously and absently Jack hoped it didn't decide to give out under their weight - talk about a Christmas surprise. He grunted and moaned with each swivel of Mac's hips, squeezing at him as nonsensical praise spilled from his lips. He sat up and hugged Mac close, biting at his shoulder, his orgasm building.

"I'm so close, baby," he mumbled against Mac skin, holding him tightly and groaning when Mac lifted his hips up and slammed them down. He repeated it a few times before going back to rolling his hips down, most likely grinding the head of Jack's cock into his prostate, if the broken sounds he was making were any indication.

He dug his nails into Jack's back, pressing his face into the side of his neck and whimpering. "Jack, I- I'm gonna-" he started, and then his voice broke as he came with a cry. He worked his hips back and forth, come splattering between their bodies, and the way he squeezed around Jack was enough to tip him over the edge too.

He groaned brokenly and bit down on Mac's shoulder as he filled him up, his cock twitching deep inside him. Jack started kissing every bit of Mac's skin he could reach, panting as he tried to catch his breath, and he tightened his arms around him when Mac slumped down against his chest.

Jack lied back on the bed with Mac sprawled on top of him, his cock slipping out of Mac's hole along with an obscene amount of come and lube. "I think we need a shower," Mac muttered into his shoulder, making a displeased noise. "I feel gross."

"In a second, baby," Jack mumbled, turning his head to bury his nose in Mac's hair. "I'm exhausted."

"But we've just got up," Mac protested, but Jack felt him smile. "You can't be tired already."

"Well, I am, so fuck you," Jack grumbled, unable to hold back a smile of his own when Mac chuckled.

"You already did," the smartass pointed out before tilting his head to look at Jack. "Okay, since we're not moving... how about we plan how you're going to surprise the others? Because I think you should wait until they're all here... I'll text Russ and tell him to come over earlier, so that we can hide Devers too, I don't want them showing up to spoil the surprise."

Jack forced his brain to work, rubbing Mac's back. "Hmm... obviously I need to hide somewhere. What about out on the deck? That way I'd still be able to see in and tell when everybody's here."

"Yeah, I like that," Mac agreed, rolling off of Jack and wrinkling his nose. "And we need to change the bed. Everything is... kinda wet."

Jack sighed, closing his eyes. "You won't let the old man rest, huh?"

"Last night you argued you're hardly an old man," Mac pointed out, and damn it, why did he have to remember everything? "So stop whining and get up."

Jack opened one eye to glare at Mac, but it was hard when Mac kept grinning at him, reminding Jack of a golden retriever. "Fine," he grumbled. "You're lucky that I love you."

Mac's giddy expression softened. "I love you too." He rolled out of bed and offered Jack a hand, and when he took it Mac pulled him to his feet. "And if I'm being honest I'm a little afraid I might fall over in the shower if I'm by myself. You really worked me over."

"You're just sayin' that to make me feel better," Jack murmured, stepping closer to press a kiss to Mac's lips. "But I love it, so never stop doin' that."

"Hey, I'm telling the truth!" Mac exclaimed, tugging Jack in the direction of the bathroom. "Between riding you, you fisting me, and I'm pretty sure you fucking me - I was asleep, but I think you did - I'm not as steady as I'd like to be." He winked. "Plus you know I'm a klutz."

"Yes, you are," Jack agreed, reaching into the shower to turn on the warm water. He pulled Mac into the cubicle with him, wrapping him up in his arms and giving that ass he loved so much a squeeze. "And yeah, I did fuck you... and you came and everything. It was pretty amazing if I'm being honest."

"It always is," Mac murmured, sliding his arms around Jack's neck. He leaned in for a kiss, just a sweet press of lips, and Jack was so damn happy he felt like he could have burst any second. "I dreamed about you fucking me," Mac said once he pulled back. "It's so great to wake up and find out you actually did it. When you were gone and I'd wake up alone... it made it hurt even more."

Jack swallowed hard. "Well, I plan on waking up next to you every morning for the rest of my life," he said, blinking the water out of his eyes and pretending that was the only thing making them burn. "Maybe I won't be fucking you awake on all of them... but they're gonna be amazing anyway."

"I'm sure they are," Mac said, leaning in to press a kiss to Jack's chin. "And I can't wait." He grinned widely. "I also can't wait to tell everyone about us getting married. Bozer will be _devastated_ that he missed it... unless we Skype him!" He perked up like an excited puppy, his eyes glimmering. "That way he can find out with everyone else."

"Oh, we have to do that," Jack agreed, nodding his head. "Can you imagine if we didn't? His mother might actually kill you."

"Another valid point." Mac nodded sagely, and they concentrated on washing themselves for a moment or two before he asked, "So... when do you want to tell Alice?"

Jack winced. "About us gettin' engaged or me bein' alive in general?" Mac just gave him a pointed look and Jack sighed. "Both, right. Well, the best way would be to do it in person, but it ain't fair not to call mama on Christmas."

"Especially since I'll definitely be talking to her today and I don't want to lie to her about being miserable," Mac said, and something warm unfurled in Jack's chest. Mac noticed because of course he did, and he smiled. "I haven't been to your ranch since you left, but we've talked a lot."

"I bet you have," Jack murmured, leaning in to give Mac a kiss. "Mama loves you more than she loves me. How is everybody else?"

"They're all good as far as I know," Mac replied as they get out of the shower, both wrapping up in fuzzy towels. "I've only talked to Mari and Juan, but they sounded fine. Worried about you, obviously."

"I can't wait to see them," Jack admitted, smiling a little as he thought about his family and his ranch. "Do you... I mean, I know we always did it, but... do you think we could go to Texas after Christmas? For New Year's Eve?"

Mac's expression went soft and he kissed Jack's cheek. "Of course we can. I'd love to see everyone too."

They stripped the bed while they were still in the towels, then dumped all the dirty laundry and made the bed again while they were naked. Once that was done they put on some pajamas and headed out to the kitchen. Jack started the coffee while Mac went to the living room to grab his phone that he had left on the coffee table the night before.

"Oh, change of plans," he said, looking at the screen. "Russ texted, suggesting he and Devers show up as the last ones, and he introduces Devers as his fiancé, saying he was on the Kovacs task force... and while everyone freaks out over this, you enter." He grinned. "I like it. Apparently it's Devers who came up with it."

Jack grinned back. "He's a crafty little son of a bitch. You'll like him." Once the coffee was making Jack raided the fridge, looking for whatever he could make for breakfast. "How do waffles sound? You still got that iron hanging around somewhere?"

"Waffles sound awesome," Mac said, joining him in the kitchen and hopping on the counter to watch Jack cook, just like he always used to do. "And I haven't changed anything around here, so bottom right shelf, just where you left it."

"Something just occurred to me," Jack started, bending down to grab the iron. "Who fed you while I was gone?"

"Mostly Bozer," Mac said, kicking his heels against the cabinet beneath him like a little kid. "My dad came over sometimes, and so did Desi. Even Russ made a couple things that happened to give me leftovers. Of course he didn't believe I couldn't cook until I blew up the microwave at the Phoenix..."

Jack paused what he was doing and raised his eyebrow at Mac. "You know, that doesn't surprise me," he said. "But I gotta ask, what were you trying to make?"

"Popcorn," Mac admitted, his cheeks flushing pink. "Only I... didn't exactly read the instructions."

Jack snorted as he poured the waffle batter into the iron and snapped it closed. "That sounds exactly like you. You want a fruit sauce with this?"

"Yes, please," Mac said, opening the fridge and extracting some strawberries. "Will these work?"

"Yeah, sure." Jack grabbed the strawberries and gestured at one of the cabinets. "Get the blender?" When Mac bent down to grab it Jack stared at his ass, not even bothering to hide it when Mac put the blender on the counter.

Mac caught his gaze and rolled his eyes. "Horny bastard," he teased, but he seemed pleased by the attention. When they first had gotten together Mac had blushed at every little thing, not used to the types of compliments Jack could dole out when he got going. "You need sugar or anything? I think there's honey somewhere."

"I doubt they're sweet enough, so yeah, honey could work," Jack said, opening the iron to check on the waffle. "A minute more for this one." He put the strawberries in the blender and added a bit of honey, and then raised an eyebrow at Mac. "You think you can handle the blender while I get your waffle out?"

"It doesn't involve heat, so probably," Mac said, shrugging a little. "We'll find out." He pulsed the strawberries down to a pulp while Jack plopped his giant waffle on a plate and started his own. When he turned back Mac was staring at the sauce like it had offended him. "Is this right?"

Jack chuckled and kissed his cheek. "It's perfect. You don't have to glare at it like it killed your puppy."

Mac stuck his tongue out at him and grabbed his plate, pouring some of the sauce on his waffle. He hopped back on the counter and cut a huge piece of the waffle, shoving it in his mouth. "Fuck, that's good," he mumbled. "I missed your food."

Jack chuckled again. "You couldn't wait for me to make some bacon?"

"I won't say no to bacon," Mac said around the waffle. "But I'm hungry."

"I'll make you another one," Jack promised, opening the bacon and putting it on the grill before pulling his own waffle. "You've gotta make it until the others get here, after all."

"And that's going to be a while," Mac said with his mouth full. "Told you, they're coming in the afternoon."

"True, but that's also sooner than you expect," Jack pointed out, chuckling when Mac's eyes widen. "We slept in, but no worries, we've got time. Do you think... we could Skype mama after breakfast?"

"Sure." Mac glanced at the time on the clock on the stove. "Shit, you weren't kidding about sleeping in."

"Yeah, but we've already showered, and all we have to do is get dressed before we call," Jack said, tossing a couple pieces of bacon on Mac's plate before he finally dug into his own food. "I think we'll be fine."

"Actually, we need to get dressed before everyone shows up," Mac said, pointing his fork at him. "I don't think your mom will mind us being in pajamas."

He slid off the counter and they moved to sit by the table. "Good point," Jack agreed, taking a sip of his coffee. "Did you get the camera on your laptop fixed?"

"Yeah, Riley took care of that for me," Mac said, snatching Jack's coffee cup and took a sip even though Jack had gotten him his own. "Let's just hope Alice picks up." He turned on his computer and booted up Skype, then called Jack's mom. "For all we know she got eaten by small children."

"Hell no, that woman can survive anything," Jack said, and then grinned. "Wait, don't let her see me right away!" He pushed the laptop so that the camera was on Mac only, and he couldn't help but bounce in his chair a little.

Mac smiled at him and then his eyes turned to the screen... and a moment later Alice's voice sounded through the speakers: "Angus, my sweet boy! Merry Christmas, darlin'."

Mac clearly (to Jack at least) put on his poker face. "Hi, Alice," he said, his smile returning. "Merry Christmas. Is the family at your place?"

"Not quite yet," Alice replied, and Jack had never thought he would have gotten so emotional at the sound of his mom's voice. "They're all coming over in a bit to open presents and have dinner."

"That's great," Mac said, his smile widening. "Here everybody is coming over soon too, so I suspect things will get crazy. Not as crazy as at the ranch, obviously," he added, and Alice laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure of that." She sighed a little. "Have you thought about coming to visit us this year? We miss you, Angus."

"I miss you guys too," Mac said, earnestness in the words. He glanced in Jack's direction. "And I do think I'm going to visit... but is it okay if I bring somebody along?"

"Of course," Alice replied, voice tinged with confusion. "Who is it? Riley?"

"No, it's not her." Mac shook his head and chewed on his lower lip. "It's... someone else. I don't want you to get the wrong idea, though, so... maybe I should just show you?"

Mac gestured at him, so Jack took a deep breath and stood up, slowly walking around the table. He paused just before he became visible to take another breath... and then moved to stand behind Mac, leaning down so that Alice could see his face. "Hey, mama."

Alice's hands flew to her mouth. " _Jacky_? Oh my god, honey..." She trailed off, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened them again they were full of tears, but Jack was pretty sure he had never seen her so pissed. "Where the _fuck_ have you been? Don't tell me it took you three fucking years to hunt down that Kovacs bastard!"

Mac snorted, stifling his laughter, and Jack glared at him as he dragged a chair closer to sit down. "It did, mama, I swear," he assured her, putting his hand on Mac's thigh under the table. "I literally kill- wrapped up the mission a few days ago. I got back home late last night, ask Mac, he'll tell you!"

Alice turned her sharp gaze to Mac. "Is that true, Angus?"

"Yes ma'am," Mac choked out, still trying not to laugh. "He showed up on my doorstep while I was in the middle of watching Die Hard and feeling sorry for myself."

"Aw, sweetheart, that's awful," Alice said, the tone of her voice softening, but when Jack made a sound of protest she glared at him. "What are you whining about? Look what you made this poor boy go through!"

"Hey, I didn't have it easy either!" Jack exclaimed while Mac was currently shaking with silent laughter. "It's not like I went on a damn vacation!"

"Maybe not, but why didn't you take him with you?" Alice asked, and Jack barely disguised a sigh as a cough. "He's brilliant, Jacky - maybe you would've found Kovacs sooner if he was along."

"That's what I said," Mac muttered, laughing when Jack elbowed him. "We've had this conversation already, in case you couldn't tell."

"Clearly," Alice said, looking between them for a moment before she sighed. "Fine, all that matters is that you're back, Jacky."

"You sure, mama?" Jack asked teasingly. "Because you don't sound too thrilled and you've been mostly yelling at me."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh suck it up, you big baby," she said, and this time Mac let out a guffaw the likes of which Jack had never heard before. "Of course I'm thrilled, and the rest of the family will be too. Now when are you coming to visit in person?"

Jack glanced at Mac who had his face buried in his arms, his shoulders shaking. "Once this one gets himself together we can discuss it," he said, gesturing at Mac and rolling his eyes. "But I'm guessin' in a few days? We'd definitely be staying for New Year's Eve."

"That's perfect," Alice said, shaking her head fondly at Mac's antics. "And you two can stay as long as you'd like, you know that. Is Riley coming too? And bringing that girlfriend of hers I've heard so much about?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Riles would love to come," Jack replied, rubbing Mac's back once he finally stopped laughing. "You done now?"

"Y-yeah, I'm good," Mac choked out, sitting up straight and wiping his eyes. His cheeks were pink and his eyes were shining with the tears from laughing, and he was so damn beautiful that Jack couldn't help himself, he had to kiss him. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Mac's, ignoring her mom cooing, and he grinned once he pulled back. "You think you can keep the secret from the family?" he asked, looking at Alice. "It would be great to surprise them."

Alice's expression turned devious. "Of course I can, I think that's an excellent idea. Just let me know what day you plan on getting in and I'll take care of the rest."

They spent a few more minutes shooting the shit before hanging up, and Jack tugged Mac into his lap as soon as the screen went dark. "She really loves you, you know," he said, touching Mac's cheek lightly. "She wouldn't have put up with you acting like I wasn't there otherwise."

Mac grinned at him and leaned in to kiss Jack's nose. "Well, I love her too. A lot," he said, sliding his arms around Jack's neck. "And I can't wait to see her and the others again."

"They're all gonna freak out," Jack replied, returning the grin. "But speaking of freaking out... I just _can't_ wait to surprise everyone today."

Mac glanced at the clock on his computer and chuckled. "Well, you won't have to wait much longer. In fact..." He reached for his phone. "Riles and Dez will be here soon according to our text chain, so you should go outside."

Jack shook his head. "I have to change first," he said, gently pushing Mac off his lap. "It's Christmas, I should dress up, at least a little."

"Right, right, good call," Mac replied, and they headed to the bedroom together. "You know what, you should hide here. There's a chance they're going to see you out on the deck, there are windows everywhere."

"Fuck, you're right," Jack said as they both rummaged around for clothes. When Mac held up two dress shirts Jack immediately pointed at the blue one. "That looks better with your eyes."

"But it's Christmas." Mac pouted a little. "Shouldn't I wear the green?"

"What are you, a Christmas tree?" Jack teased. "Seriously, though, you look perfect in anything. I mean it," he added when Mac snorted. "If you wanna wear the green one then go for it."

"You're not exactly being helpful right now," Mac pointed out. "You should wear the dark navy one, by the way. You look amazing in it."

Jack dutifully put on the shirt Mac suggested, hiding his smile when Mac decided to put on the green one. They both paired their shirts with jeans, and it was around then that the front door opened and Riley's voice called, "Mac? Where you at? We come bearing beer and cornbread stuffing!"

Jack's breath hitched when he heard her voice and he swallowed hard, blinking rapidly. "Coming!" Mac called back, looking at Jack with wide eyes. He mouthed _you okay?_ and when Jack nodded, Mac smiled at him, putting his finger over his lips and winking before he dashed out of the room, closing the door behind him almost entirely. Jack made his way to the doorframe silently and smiled when he heard both Riley and Desi greet Mac, laughing loudly at something.

He peeked through the crack between the door and the jamb and could just make out Desi in the middle of shrugging off her coat. Riley flitted through a second later, going over to put down a large pan of something - presumably the stuffing - on the kitchen counter.

The front door opened again, and Matty said, "Hey Mac. Jim and I brought the ham - I bought the biggest one they had so hopefully you gluttons have enough food."

"That's great, Matty, thank you," Mac replied, and for a second Jack could see him, grabbing the ham from James. "Hey, dad."

"How are you doing, son?" James asked, and Jack heard the concern in his voice. "Everything okay?"

"Actually... yeah," Mac replied, and Jack had to bite on the inside of his cheek to stay quiet. "I'm going to be fine."

"Wow, this tree is gorgeous!" Riley exclaimed from the living room before James could reply. "Even better than last year, Mac."

"I heard someone had a hand in picking it out," Matty said, and Jack almost laughed when she smacked James on the ass. "Good job."

"Oh my god," Mac muttered, and then the door opened a third time. "Hey, Russ. Did you bring the dessert?"

"I definitely did," the voice Jack had never thought he would have heard again says, just as British and annoying as ever. "I also brought... something else."

"Oh, so I'm _something_ now?" Jack heard Devers ask, and apparently everyone else had moved to the living room already and they couldn't see him since there were no questions flying in Taylor's direction.

"By _something_ I obviously meant my arm candy," Russ deadpanned, tugging Devers inside. "Lucas Devers, meet Angus MacGyver."

"I feel like I know you already," Devers said wryly, shaking Mac's hand. "But it's nice to meet you anyway. Your house is gorgeous."

"Thanks," Mac said, smiling widely. Jack didn't miss the way his gaze darted toward the bedroom door for a split second and Devers grinned knowingly.

"Oh, I think I know what you're hiding there," he murmured, dropping his voice. He glanced at Taylor. "How about you introduce me to the other and we can get this party started?"

They all headed to the living room and when they disappeared behind the corner Jack heard Russ whistle, resulting in the others quitting chattering. "Oi! I want you all to meet someone. This is my fiancé, Lucas Devers. He just got back from a rather harrowing mission... hunting Tiberius Kovacs."

"Hey everybody," Devers said, and Jack imagined him waving a little. "Nice to meet you all."

Since everyone was in the living room, Jack silently crept out of the bedroom, basically glued to the wall. Everyone was completely quiet for good thirty seconds before Matty recovered first, asking, "... excuse me?" She sounded pissed and Jack had _missed_ this. "Taylor, are you trying to tell me that not only you've been hiding the fact that you are engaged from us... but your _fiancé_ was a part of the Kovacs mission?"

Jack got close enough to see Russ wince, the others still hidden from his view behind the wall. "Yes, yes, I've been kind of hiding both of those things, but I don't think you'll be angry if you turn around."

There was another beat of silence before everyone swiveled as a unit, just in time for Jack to make it to the end of the hall. Riley was the first one to react, crying out his name before she threw herself at him. Jack caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly as he spun her around. "Hey, baby girl," he whispered against her hair once she was back on her feet, her face buried in his neck. She made a soft sound in the back of her throat and she punched him lightly in the shoulder, but she didn't pull back, almost like she couldn't believe he was actually there... and to be honest, Jack could relate.

"Matilda, I don't think I've _ever_ seen you so shocked," he heard Taylor say. "It's _fascinating_."

"Shut up, Taylor," Matty said absently, and as soon as Jack let go of Riley he crouched down to hug her next. "It's about time you got back, Dalton."

"I don't think any of us expected it to take as long as it did," Devers commented, leaning against Russ's side. He looked more relaxed than Jack had ever seen him. "But we all made it back in one piece."

"Good to see you, boss lady," Jack murmured in Matty's ear, and then pulled back to look her in the eye. "Hopefully I still get to call you that?"

"Don't be stupid, Jack," Matty said, rolling her eyes, but Jack could tell it was a fond gesture. "As soon as you're ready, your job is waiting for you."

"Well, I don't think this is up to you-" Taylor started, but then yelped in pain when... when _Riley_ kicked him in the shin.

"Now it's time for you to explain why you never mentioned your fiancé being on Jack's team," she said, glaring at him and pointing her finger at Devers. "I realize you're probably as badass as Jack is, but if you try to defend Russ right now I'm gonna erase you from existence in less than five seconds."

Devers raised his hands in surrender, then glanced at Russ. "This one is up to you, babe."

"First of all, in my defense I didn't know who Lucas was hunting," Russ started, looking at Riley with a... surprising amount of sincerity. "He only told me after the mission was over, and that's when I asked him about Dalton. I figured if..." He glanced first at Jack, then at Mac, voice softening. "I figured if something had happened to Dalton, Angus deserved to hear it from... someone familiar, not a stranger knocking at his door."

"That's surprisingly... considerate of you," Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest, deciding not to comment of Taylor calling Mac by his name... at least for now. He was unable to stop his voice from coming out cold, but hey, at least he wasn't punching Taylor, so that was progress. "Never thought I'd say that about you, Taylor."

"And I never thought you'd be friends with my fiancé, but here we are," was Russ's wry retort. He grew serious again almost instantly and took a step toward Jack. "Look, Dalton, I know we've never seen eye to eye on... well, anything, but I've done my damnedest over the past few years to change for the better."

"And you have," Mac commented, causing Jack's gaze to snap in his direction. He shrugged. "What? When I met Russ he was an asshole... now he's still an asshole, but not to us. He's family."

If Mac said something like that then Jack couldn't really argue and when he looked at Russ again he saw him blink in surprise. "Fine," Jack muttered. "But just sayin', I'm gonna need a minute to get used to him bein' around. And I ain't takin' orders from him."

"That's not going to be a problem," James said with a smile, walking up to Jack and pulling him in a hug, much to his shock. "Matty's the one in charge, everyone knows that. Even Taylor."

Jack hugs James back after a second of delay. "Well, of course. It's common knowledge."

"Alas, I have to admit that's true," Russ said, smiling a little in Matty's direction. "It just took me a while to figure it out."

"More than a while," Desi grumbled, raising her eyebrows at Jack. "Are you gonna say hi to me or what?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Jack said, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her. He grinned when she made a surprised sound, but then she hugged him back. "Heard you fit in quite well, Dez," he drawled as he pulled back, raising one eyebrow at her. "I also found out something interesting, so I hope you're ready for a shovel talk."

Desi grinned at him. "I wouldn't expect anything else... but Jack, I love Riley. A lot."

"They're sickeningly adorable," Matty commented, smiling when Riley ducked her head, cheeks pink. "And their condo is amazing."

"We have a swimming pool," Desi said in a stage whisper. "And _two_ ovens."

"Oh, I'm definitely comin' over to check out that swimming pool," Jack said, smiling widely. He glanced at Mac, raising his eyebrow at him, and Mac immediately understood the question, nodding a little. "There's one more thing we'd like to discuss with you... but we need to get Bozer for this. Mac, grab the laptop?"

"On it," Mac said, already turning on his computer. At the same time he texted Bozer, probably to tell him to be ready for a call. "One second."

Bozer picked up the Skype call immediately when Mac made it, his face filling the screen. "Hey guys! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Bozer," came the chorus from the gang.

He looked around the room and his eyes got huge when they stopped on Jack. " _Jack_? When did you get back, man? Don't tell me I just missed you before I left for Mission City!"

"I got back last night, you were already gone," Jack said, grinning widely. "Good to see you, Bozer."

"And we're calling for a reason," Mac added, setting the laptop on the table. "We figured you wouldn't forgive us if we made this announcement without you."

"Let me guess, you're pregnant," Desi deadpanned, causing James to snort so hard he sounded like he hurt himself. "Am I about to be an auntie?"

"No, but you're close," Jack drawled, tugging Mac in close and pecking him on the lips, unable to help himself. "We're engaged."

Bozer cheered so loudly the speakers on Mac's laptop couldn't handle it, making a cracking sound. "Congratulations!" Riley bounced up to them, hugging Jack tightly before doing the same thing to Mac. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Well, it's about time," Matty said dryly, like Jack hadn't been gone for three years. "When's the wedding?"

"We were thinking about spring," Mac started, hugging his dad next. "But... we're supposed to go for Texas for New Year’s... what if we did it then? And all of you came with us?"

Jack was in the middle of accepting a hug from Devers when he heard that and he froze for a second before slowly turning to look at Mac. "Wait, what?" he asked, and Mac just grinned at him sheepishly. "You serious?"

"I... literally just thought of that, I swear," Mac said, taking a step closer to him. "I didn't mean to surprise you like that, but... what do you think?"

Jack considered it for a moment, then grinned back. "I love it. Let's do it. Bet I can find some nice rings in Dallas."

"Oh we're totally going shopping for those with you," Riley declared, looping her arm through Jack's. "They have to be perfect."

"This is _awesome_!" Bozer yelled from the computer. "I can totally fly out there, I'll check the tickets soon."

"Speaking for tickets, we should probably book them for all of us," James said. "Hopefully we can find so many of them."

"Why don't you take Russ's jet?" Devers asked, frowning a little. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind, right, babe?"

"Of course not," Russ said, tugging Mac in for a hug. That almost forced a growl from Jack's throat but he managed to contain it, not wanting to spoil the moment. "I'm happy for you, Angus, truly."

"Thanks, Russ," Mac said, smiling at him when they parted. "Now how about we cut into that ham, huh? I don't know about anybody else but I'm starving."

Everyone agreed and James decided to do the honors and cut the ham. After saying goodbye and promising to let them know about his flight Bozer hung up, but not before he announced he was definitely going to make the damn Christmas pastrami once he got to Texas. Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed his plate, standing in the short line and waiting for James to distribute the ham, moving out of the way once he got some.

"Again, congratulations," Devers said, appearing next to him out of nowhere. "Mac seems like a great guy. Actually, everyone here seems pretty awesome."

"Thanks, man," Jack replied, not startled in the slightest - since he sneaked around all the time it was only fair that someone else did the same. "I knew you'd fit right in."

"Of course he does," Mac said, popping up on the other side of Devers. "You said he reminded you of me."

"Funny thing, he used to say the same thing to me." Devers grinned. "Usually it happened whenever I did something _nerdy_." He used the air quotes. "But he also compared Martinez to you."

"See, if someone separated your knowledge of explosives and your general love for them from... well, the rest of you, you'd get Martinez and Devers," Jack told Mac. "Both of them just as crazy as you are, obviously."

Mac laughed, a beautiful sound that Jack would never get tired of hearing. "Good to know. Did you want to invite the rest of the guys to the wedding? I know it's short notice and they just got home, but... maybe they'd like to come anyway?"

"I'd love that, actually," Jack admitted, chewing on his lower lip. "Do you... do you think I could also invite my Delta team guys? I mean, like you said, it's short notice, but-"

"Jack, of course," Mac interjected softly, smiling at him. "You should definitely call them, I'm sure they would like to at least know about you getting married."

Jack pulled Mac over to the couch and they sat down, putting their plates on the coffee table. "I love you," he said, staring into Mac's eyes. "So damn much. How do you always _get_ me?"

"Natural talent?" Mac suggested, looking pleased. "I love you too, by the way."

"Good, otherwise us getting married would be pretty awkward," Jack teased, mostly to hide how emotional he was.

Mac, however, saw right through him, grabbing his hand and squeezing lightly. "You never have to worry about that," he murmured. "Do you want to call your guys now? I can entertain the guests while you're gone."

"No, it... it can wait," Jack said after a moment of consideration. "I'm sure they're all celebrating with their families right now anyway."

Speaking of family, the others all came over and sprawled out on the furniture with their plates. "Here," Desi said, passing them both a beer and winking. "We'll save the hard stuff for later."

Jack raised one eyebrow and looked at Mac, leaning back on the couch and wrapping one arm around his shoulders. "What counts as the hard stuff around here these days?"

Mac grinned at him. "Very expensive whiskey that Russ keeps bringing over," he replied, folding his long legs and curling up against Jack's side. "He keeps acting like it annoys him that we keep raiding his alcohol stash... but yet he brings another bottle every time."

"That's because if I keep bringing you what you _think_ is good booze, you'll leave mine alone," Taylor teased, and... Jack couldn't believe he was actually making _jokes._ "This time we're celebrating, however, so I did bring something special."

"Speaking of special, this is _delicious_ ," James commented, stuffing some... well, stuffing in his mouth. "Great job everyone."

"Too bad I can't take credit for any of that," Mac mumbled, and Jack snorted, pulling him closer and kissing the top of his head. "All I did was keep you from eating what the guys brought earlier and put in my fridge."

"Hey, that sounds like a huge accomplishment," Devers pointed out, grinning when Jack glared at him. "It's hard to stop Dalton from eating something once he sets his sights on it."

"Thank god I'm not the only one who noticed that," Desi commented, pointing her fork at Jack. "When he was training us at the Ranger Academy he was _constantly_ eating. He even kept raisins in his pockets. _Raisins_."

Jack narrowed his eyes as he turned his glare to Desi, aware of Mac chuckling into his shoulder. "Raisins are a great snack," he said, taking a sip of his beer. "And trust me, you don't want to be around me when I get hungry, so you should be grateful I snack a lot!"

"That _is_ true," Devers muttered. "I don't like you when you're hungry."

Riley guffawed, burying her face in Desi's shoulder just like Mac had with Jack, and that was... really cute, actually. "He's _horrible_ hungry," she agreed. "Jack always needs to have food."

"And that's why we bring so much to parties," Matty said solemnly. "What we didn't bring was any gifts for him."

Jack shook his head, not wanting anyone to feel guilty. "Hey, you had no idea I was comin' back," he said. "And like I told back, just bein' back home is the best gift I could get." He grinned. "I also hope this is a good gift for all of you because I didn't you anything either."

"That's fine, Dalton," James said, his voice surprisingly warm. "Having you back is more than enough. Angus was miserable without you."

"Hey!" Mac protested, reaching out to thump his dad on the leg. "I wasn't _that_ bad... was I?"

Everybody was quiet for a moment, exchanging silent looks, and eventually Riley decided to take one for the team. "Mac, you were - and I'm saying this as lovingly as possible - a human disaster without Jack." Mac's mouth dropped open which was hilarious and Jack would have laughed if his heart wasn't clenching painfully. "I mean, you hid it pretty well, but we could all tell you were sad all the time."

"That's true," Russ said with a nod. "Well, before today I didn't know how you were with Dalton around... but it was obvious you were missing him a lot." He smiled at Devers. "And I know how that feels, so maybe that's why I picked up on it."

"Aw, babe," Devers cooed, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "An open expression of emotion? From you? You must've really missed me."

"Of course I did," Russ said softly, squeezing Devers's knee. "Now let's stop giving the team blackmail ammunition, darling."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," Desi drawled. " _Darling._ "

Much to Jack's shock and everyone's amusement Russ actually _blushes,_ and for a moment Jack felt like he had slipped into an alternate universe or something. "You know what I don't get?" Mac suddenly asked, sitting up a little to be able to look at Russ. "You said you didn't know who Devers was hunting... but you knew Jack was gone on a secret mission too, and you must've heard us mention when he'd left, I can't believe you didn't put it together. Especially since you're... well, _you._ "

"Lucas asked me not to pry," Russ said, taking a sip of his beer and making a face. "Also I didn't want to endanger him accidentally by digging around. I really didn't think much of the timing coincidence... but then again I was a bit distracted by Codex."

"That's fair," Mac said, snuggling against Jack's side again. Even though it had been a long time since they had started dating, it still blew Jack's mind how... comfortable Mac was with showing affection when it came to him. Mac had always been a person who valued his personal space, so when they had gotten together Jack expected him to stay that way... but he _didn't_ and it had taken Jack a moment to realize that Mac's rules had never really applied to _him._

Since they were done eating Jack slid an arm around Mac's shoulders again and tugged him closer. He was more than happy to watch Matty and James distribute the gifts while Riley and Desi went to get dessert, contentment making Jack feel warm all over. He leaned his head against Mac's and sighed, barely feeling the pull of the knife wounds and bruises on his body.

He felt Mac shift a little, one of his arms sliding over his middle to return the hug. "You alright?" Mac asked in a whisper, tilting his head a little so that his lips were moving against Jack's cheek.

"I'm good, baby," Jack whispered back, turning his head enough to bury his nose in Mac's hair, inhaling deeply. "I'm just... so damn happy."

"I am too," Mac told him, and when Jack drew back to look at him he was smiling softly. "Really. I've never been as happy as I am right now, with you and everybody else. This is... perfect." He brought up his hand to touch Jack's cheek, fingertips exploring the healing cut there. "I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together."

Hearing that made Jack's heart flutter and he couldn't help but smile back, getting lost in Mac's pretty eyes. "Me neither," he whispered, leaning into Mac's touch. "So you're saying you're happier now than you were when we kissed for the first time? Or when I got you that chemistry thingy you'd wanted for so long?"

"Totally," Mac said, his smile widening. "Well, maybe with the exception of the first kiss thing, although I was more disbelieving than anything else." They both chuckled a little before Mac added, "Merry Christmas, Jack. Whatever happens next year, I don't think it'll top this."

"Merry Christmas, baby," Jack murmured, leaning in to nuzzle Mac's cheek. "You are aware, though, that you might've just jinxed us, right? By saying nothing will top this?" he clarified when Mac frowned a little. "Knowing our luck, next year Murdoc decides to make our Christmas even more fun." He shrugged a little, tilting his head to press his lips to Mac's. "But whatever happens... I'm sure we can handle it just fine."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone!
> 
> Happy New Year's Eve! I hope you all stay safe tonight and just chill at home :) fingers crossed 2021 is much better than 2020!
> 
> Enjoy the last chapter! We really hope you like it :)
> 
> I'm going to post the last two chapters of _surrender to your darkest dreams (let your fantasies unwind)_ soon and then... stay tuned!

_One year later..._

Mac had hated low-crawling during basic training, had hated it while he was getting shot at in Afghanistan... and it turned out he _really_ hated it while he was wearing a Santa hat and sneaking around a partially built high-rise in New York City. Jack, on the other hand, was having the time of his life and wasn't afraid to say so: "This is just like Die Hard, dude! Wrong city, but who cares!"

Mac stopped moving and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting out a nearly soundless sigh. "So you've said," he muttered, looking over his shoulder... and he couldn't help but smile when he saw Jack grinning at him widely. "About a million times. Now stop smiling like that, it's infectious and I can't focus if I keep grinning like an idiot."

"Hey, I'm staring right at your ass and I've been focusing just fine," Jack pointed out as they started crawling forward again, his gun in one hand and the bio weapon they were stealing in the other. "And don't be cranky just because we're working on Christmas."

"Technically it's not Christmas _yet_ ," Riley chimed in over comms. "And if you can get out of the building before it blows up you might get to celebrate with us."

"Also, Dalton, if you could stop talk about my son's ass while we're all on comms, that would be fantastic," James said wryly, and Mac stifled a groan, his cheeks burning.

"Well, sucks to be you, he's my husband and I can talk about his ass all I want," Jack grumbled, but there was no heat behind it. "And speaking of getting out of the building, it would be easier if there weren't five armed dudes wandering around, dreaming about puttin' a few bullets in us."

"We're working on it!" Desi hissed, and Mac heard her slam a new mag into her gun. "Taylor, Devers, you guys ready?"

"Yeah, we're good," Devers said, then muttered to himself, "Why did I take this job again?"

"Because you love me, darling," Russ said sweetly, grunting as he broke someone's neck. "Hurry up, gentlemen. We don't have all night."

"Fuck you, Taylor," Jack muttered, and Mac stifled a chuckle. While Jack and Russ hadn't become best friends, far from it, they had reached a certain... understanding over the year, and Mac had to hold Jack back to prevent him from punching Russ only twice, so that was quite good. "We're on our way- fuck, Mac, watch out!"

A boot _almost_ connected with Mac's face, but he managed to roll away at the last second. He stuck his hand out without prompting and Jack tossed the bio weapon into it before launching himself forward with a growl, grabbing the leg attached to the boot and blowing a hole in the guy's kneecap with his gun. Then he was out of the tunnel of construction debris and grabbing Mac's arm to haul him forward.

"You good?" he asked, eyes searching Mac's face. Mac nodded, but then swore when he saw another goon over Jack's shoulder. He tugged on his arm and they ducked behind a corner just in time for the bullets to start flying, and he wasn't surprised in the slightest when Jack pushed him back to cover him with his body, just in case.

"Jack, we've talked about this," Mac griped, again not surprised when he was tugged upward and they both made a break for the nearest exit. Bullets shattered the glass of the doors and windows as they dived through them, landing painfully hard on the sidewalk outside. "Don't... sacrifice yourself for me... idiot."

"Would you tell a fish to stop swimming?" Jack retorted, grabbing Mac again and rolling him out of the way when more bullets started flying.

Finally they managed to take cover behind a dumpster and once he caught his breath Mac punched Jack in the shoulder. "You're not invincible, so stop throwing yourself in front of me like a damn shield!"

"Oh damn, mom and dad are fighting," Bozer commented, which earned snickers from the entire group. "Auntie Matty, do something!"

"Call me auntie again and I'll kneecap you, Bozer," Matty deadpanned, but then her voice turned concerned. "Are you two out of the blast radius? You've got less than thirty seconds to get clear."

"For fuck's sake," Mac swore, grabbing Jack's hand again and running, knowing he would follow. Somehow in the middle of the shooting and yelling at Jack, the bomb had kind of... slipped his mind, but thankfully they didn't need to get much further to be safe from the blast. Speaking of, the second Mac pushed Jack behind another building, the explosives went off, the deafening sound making Mac's ears ring.

Jack yanked him into his chest, wrapping both arms around him and holding him tightly as debris blasted down the street mere inches away. He had his face pressed to the side of Mac's head and Mac clung to him just as hard, face buried in Jack's neck. Once things settled for a moment Mac felt one of Jack's hands on his head, tilting it back so they could look at each other. "You good?" Jack asked him, shouting a little since neither one of them could hear well right now. "Didn't catch any shrapnel, right?"

"I don't think so, no," Mac replied, shaking his head. He checked the pocket of his shirt, but the bio weapon was thankfully intact. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," Jack said, searching Mac's face for a few seconds before tugging him closer for a kiss. It was just a chaste press of lips, but it felt amazing, like always, and it was over way too soon. Jack smiled at him, tweaking on the pompon of Mac's Santa hat. "You look cute."

Mac's cheeks flushed pink. "It was just a disguise," he muttered, toeing at the ground with his boot. The rest of his Santa outfit hadn't made it out of the building. "Can we go home now? Please?"

"Your chariot is inbound," Devers declared, tires squealing in the distance to prove his point. "I might have to run over some people to get there."

"I don't care, the sooner you get here the better," Jack told him before focusing his attention back on Mac. He cupped one of his cheeks with his hand, leaning in for another kiss, just as sweet as before. "Disguise or not, you always look cute. But the Santa outfit really fits you." He grinned slowly. "Actually... would you mind keeping the hat?"

Mac rolled his eyes. "Why, so I can wear it in bed while you tie me up with red ribbon?"

"I was just thinking about you wearing it in bed, but you made my fantasy ten times better," Jack said, reaching down to squeeze Mac's ass. "Sorry, James."

James just made some kind of sound in response, followed by Matty chuckling. "Jim will be fine," she said, sounding amused. "It's not like he's never done anything kinky."

This time it was Mac's turn to sputter and shake his head a little. "I did _not_ need to know that!" he exclaimed, and Jack, that bastard, of course just laughed. "Keep laughing, babe, and you can kiss your little Christmas fantasy goodbye."

"Oh, Dalton, I'd watch out," Russ said, also sounding far too amused. "Angus tends to make promises, not threats."

"Of course he does," Desi said as she made an indignant sound. "I'm the one that taught him to never make a threat without follow through." The van pulled up and she threw open the back door. "Now get in here."

Jack looked like he wanted to say something, but he followed Mac to the van and they both climbed inside, sitting on the floor next to each other. Grinning, Mac took out his comm and leaned against his side, taking his out as well before pressing his lips to Jack's ear. "I'll wear the hat," he whispered. "And I wasn't kidding about the ribbon."

"He really wasn't," Devers said loudly from behind the wheel, and tossed a gigantic roll of red satin ribbon into Jack's lap with expert precision. "And since nobody really wants to be on a plane for Christmas morning, Matty booked us some suites at one of the fancy hotels downtown... and Mac may have mentioned the ribbon thing to me earlier." He winked at Russ. "I bought a few."

"Now that's what I like to hear," Russ said, clapping his hands while Mac ducked his head, his cheeks burning. He put the comm back into his ear just in time to hear his dad groan loudly before the soft clicking indicated he turned the comms off.

"I think Jim gave up," Matty said wryly. "But Devers is right, the suites are waiting for you. Behave... and I'll see you once you get home."

"You know what," Jack started once Matty went offline too, looking curiously at the ribbon in his lap. "I didn't mention any of that before, so how did you-"

"You have a thing for hats," Mac interjected, remembering the time he had worn a cowboy hat and nothing else. "I knew it would come up... and I thought this would make it even more festive."

Desi snorted. "Sure, festive is what you were going for."

Riley's head popped up from behind the back seat and she cocked an eyebrow. "So Devers shouldn't have gotten us a roll of ribbon too?"

"Oh my god," Jack said, suddenly looking and sounding mortified. "I didn't need to know that."

"Now you know how my dad feels." Mac grinned widely when Jack groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I hope you don't stop torturing him, it's always incredibly amusing."

Jack mumbled something unintelligible, but eventually he looked at Mac again and only glared a little. "Very funny," he muttered before his voice dropped even lower. "Maybe I should gag you too."

"Okay, _now_ I've heard enough," Devers declared as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. He killed the engine, then added, "Unless you guys wanna have a foursome?"

"Jesus Christ, Riles, we're leaving," Desi said hurriedly, all but dragging Riley out of the van. "Goodnight, sex fiends!"

"Keep dreaming," Jack said, opening the back of the van and getting out, grabbing Mac's hand when he did the same. "I don't want that anywhere near us," he added, gesturing at Russ who raised one eyebrow.

"Ouch, Dalton." He clutched his chest. "What I hear, though, is that while you don't want _me_ there you wouldn't mind Lucas joining you two.

"What-" Jack choked a little, eyes growing wide. "I didn't say that!"

Mac laughed hysterically at the expression on Jack's face. "For the record," he said once he got himself under control, "I wouldn't mind having both of you join us... but maybe not tonight." He tugged on Jack's hand. "Come on, babe."

Devers, meanwhile, looked entirely too smug as he elbowed Russ. "I'm popular."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to sound so happy about that," Russ grumbled, adding something else, but Mac couldn't hear the rest of their conversation as they stepped into the hotel.

They checked in quickly, using the fake names Matty had prepared for them, and once they had their key card they headed toward the elevators. "Were you serious?" Jack suddenly asked. "About... you know?"

Mac bit the inside of his cheek, then nodded. "Yeah, I... I was," he said, glancing at Jack when they stopped in front of the elevators, waiting for one to come down to the lobby. "Is that a problem? I mean, you can't deny that they're both stupidly hot, even if you don't like Taylor."

"No, it's not a problem," Jack said, waiting until they were in the elevator and the door closed before he wrapped Mac in his arms. "I just... I'm not sure I'm okay with sharing you," he murmured, pressing a kiss to Mac's neck and making him shudder. "I mean, I've had my fair share of... adventures, but you're different." He sighed, nipping at Mac's skin. "Also I guess this is where I should tell you I slept with Taylor many years ago."

Shock rolled through Mac, but after he thought about it for a second it made sense. "I can see that," he said, not resisting when Jack pressed him against the wall of the elevator and kept mouthing at his jaw. "There was probably a lot of testosterone... some anger... and that turned into sexual tension." He pictured it in his head and groaned a little, spreading his legs so Jack could slot a thigh between them. "Was it good?"

"As much as it pains me to admit it... yeah," Jack muttered, rocking a little against Mac and moaning softly. "And it was definitely angry."

"Fuck, that shouldn't be so hot," Mac groaned, making a frustrated sound when the elevator stopped at their floor. He let Jack tug him out into the hallway, but they didn't get far, his back slamming into one of the walls a moment later. "You fucked him, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Jack growled in his ear, his hand coming around to squeeze Mac's burgeoning erection through his jeans. "More than once. It was pretty damn good... and then I let him fuck me."

"Oh god." Mac pushed his hips into Jack's touch, frantically trying to put his keycard into their door lock and failing. "How was it? Did he make you come?"

"Mhmm, yeah, he did," Jack murmured, squeezing Mac's cock again before reaching to wrap his fingers around Mac's wrists, steading his hand. Thanks to that Mac managed to open the door and they tumbled inside, and Mac blindly searched for the power switch to slide the card into.

Once he found it the lights turned on and Mac was momentarily distracted from Jack's mouth as he looked around. "Wow, this is nice," he commented, groaning when Jack hoisted him up and carried him to the bed. "And _this_ is just as hot as it always is."

Jack chuckled as he set Mac down on the mattress with a surprising amount of tenderness since he had just slammed him into a wall (not that Mac was complaining). "Glad to know you still approve," he murmured, kicking off his boots and crawling on top of Mac before he paused. "Uh... baby? Maybe we should put the extremely fragile bio weapon away before we have sex?"

Mac blinked at him and then started laughing, framing Jack's face with his hands and pulling him down for a kiss. "Oh yeah? You don't want to spice things up?"

"I do," Jack mumbled against his lips. "But I wanna do it by tying you up nice and pretty, and not by suffocating or whatever that bio weapon will do to me."

"That's fair." Mac sat up when Jack did, stripping off his jacket and wrapping up the cylinder inside it. He wriggled off the bed and went to set it on a chair, then kicked off his boots and started unbuttoning his shirt. "So how do you want me? Tied to the bed? Or to myself?"

"Oh, I think I'm gonna tie you to the bed," Jack drawled, looking him up and down before he shrugged off his own jacket and yanked the t-shirt over his head. "But first I want you all pretty and naked, there ain't no rush." He grinned slowly. "And don't forget about the hat. I know you took it off before we checked in, but it's coming back on, Santa."

Mac rolled his eyes fondly and put the hat back on, unable to keep himself from smiling at Jack's eager expression. "If I'd known you were so into hats I would've started wearing them before we got together," he commented, crawling back on the bed to give Jack a kiss. "Even if I hate what they do to my hair."

"Your hair looks fine," Jack mumbled, wrapping one arm around Mac waist and turning until Mac was on his back and Jack rolled on top of him. He pressed their lips together in another kiss, slower and deeper this time. "So tell me," Jack murmured, pulling back to mouth at Mac’s jaw. "Have I been a good boy this year? Or do I have to do something special for you to find nice presents under the tree?"

Mac couldn't help the way he giggled, turned on and amused at the same time. "Oh, I think you've been pretty good," he commented, squeezing Jack's hips with his thighs. "You did marry me, after all... and you haven't gone off on any missions without me."

"Mhmm, that's true," Jack murmured, lips moving against Mac's skin. He tugged on his unbuttoned shirt, eventually sliding it off Mac's shoulders and kissing his way back to Mac's mouth at the same time. "Definitely progress compared to the years before that."

Mac smiled into the kiss and slid his hands down over Jack's back. He squeezed at his ass before bringing his hands around to the front, popping the button on Jack's jeans. "Then I guess you deserve a present," he said, nipping at Jack's chin. "But if you expect me to role-play as Santa, that's not happening."

"That's cool, that could be too weird," Jack muttered, and Mac snorted, grinning widely.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, pushing Jack's jeans down. " _That_ could be too weird? And me wearing the hat isn't?"

"Hell no," Jack replied, kicking off his jeans before he opened Mac's zipper. "That's hot. And so is your ribbon idea."

"If the mission hadn't gone sideways I was gonna save it until we got home," Mac informed him, groaning once the last of their clothes were gone and they were finally skin-to-skin. "I was planning on tying myself up while I sent you out for takeout or something."

"Nefarious," Jack mumbled, grinding against him lightly. "At this rate I might not be able to wait for the damn ribbon."

"We... we both know your stamina is better than that," Mac gasped, moaning when their cocks brushed together. He wrapped his arms around Jack, hugging him tightly since he wouldn't be able to that once Jack tied him up, and thrusted up, needing more friction. "Or is the hat... really driving you this insane?"

"Fuck you," Jack grunted out, flailing out a hand to grab the roll of ribbon. It was red and satin, pretty, but also practical - exactly how Mac thought of Jack. "And yeah, I know, that's the idea."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Mac said, smirking a little as he raised his hands over his head so Jack could tie him up. "Speaking of which, are you going to gag me?"

"Maybe, I haven't decided yet," Jack said conversationally, like they were talking about their weekend plans. Once the ribbon was around Mac's wrists, tight but not too much, Jack tied it to the headboard and Mac didn't need to tug on it to check if it was possible for him to get free - he knew it wasn't.

Jack grinned down at him and fixed the damn hat on Mac's head, grabbing the pompon go tickle Mac's nose with it. Mac bit Jack's thumb when it got close enough, grinning back when it made him yelp. "So now you've got me," he said, spreading his legs just a little more, cock hard and leaking against his abdomen. "What are you going to do with me?"

Jack smirked down at him, leaning down and slowly licking into Mac's mouth, the kiss making Mac breathless. Jack ended it with a bite on his lower lip and then his smirk widened. "Whatever I damn please," Jack murmured in that low voice that never failed to make Mac shudder with want. "But if you want me to be more specific... I was thinkin' about getting inside you and making you come as many times as possible."

"That sounds like a gift for me, not for you," Mac commented, shifting his thigh to rub it against Jack's cock enticingly. "But I'm not going to argue."

"I didn't think you would," Jack said wryly, grabbing the ribbon again. He unspooled some and wrapped it around the base of Mac's cock, lifting him up enough to tie a neat bow behind his back - one that prevented him from coming. "Gonna complain about this?"

"N-not at all," Mac replied, his breath hitching a little. "I'm... actually enjoying being wrapped like a present for you."

"Good," Jack murmured, grinning with all teeth. "But before you drift away-" damn, Jack knew him too well. "-what are we gonna do about the lack of lube? You think there's something in the bathroom we could use?"

"Probably some kind of oil in there," Mac mumbled, wrapping his fingers around the slack ribbon coming off his wrists. "Go check."

"Aye aye, captain," Jack said teasingly, leaning down to kiss his cheek before he climbed off the bed. "Don't go anywhere."

Mac huffed in amusement. "Funny," he muttered, closing his eyes. He basically sank into the fluffy mattress, loving how _soft_ it was, and he decided that maybe it was time to replace their mattress back home. Not with one this soft, sleeping on it every day would eventually become bad for their backs, but still-

"I'm back," Jack's quiet voice broke him out of his thoughts, and when he opened his eyes he saw Jack get back on the bed. "What were you thinkin' about?"

"New mattress," Mac replied truthfully. "It's time to replace ours."

"Oh, good idea," Jack said, crawling back between Mac's legs. He had a bottle of massage oil in his hands and furrowed his brows as he read the label, no doubt double checking that it was safe _everywhere_. "We could probably get a good deal on one at an after Christmas sale."

"Yeah, probably," Mac agreed, shifting impatiently when Jack took his sweet time opening the oil and pouring some on his fingers. He sighed when Jack's hand _finally_ slid between his legs, one finger teasingly rubbing over his entrance. "Maybe- maybe we should stop talking about that now."

"Hey, you started it," Jack replied, winking at Mac as he slowly pushed one finger inside. "Good?"

"Mhmm," Mac hummed, dragging his feet up the mattress and bending his knees, giving Jack more room to work. "It's always good."

"Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to check," Jack said, squeezing Mac's thigh with his free hand. "And you tell me if you want out of that ribbon, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course," Mac murmured, his heart fluttering in his chest. He hoped Jack never stopped having this effect on him, but somehow he had a feeling he had nothing to worry about. He smiled when Jack leaned down to kiss him, working one finger in and out of him for a moment before adding another one, scissoring his fingers apart.

" _Oh_ ," Mac moaned out, licking his lips and clenching down on those skillful fingers. He sighed as Jack nudges them against his prostate. "Fuck, I... that's it, Jack. A little harder?"

"Okay, baby," Jack whispered, pushing just a little more. "Is that good?"

Mac moaned loudly instead of replying with words, his hips twitching as Jack continued to rub his fingers against his prostate. A moment later a third one slipped inside him and Mac arched off the mattress a little, letting out a low groan, tugging on his restraints. "I'm- _fuck,_ I'm good, Jack," he gasped. "Come on."

"You sure?" Jack asked softly, not pulling his fingers out until Mac nodded. "Okay then." He lubed up his cock with the oil. "What are you in the mood for? Slow? Rough?"

"Maybe a bit of both?" Mac suggested, panting a little as he tried to ignore the strain of his bound cock. "Just... just get inside me, please."

"Where's the rush, baby?" Jack murmured teasingly, lining himself up, and Mac moaned when he felt the head of Jack's cock brush against his entrance. "So impatient."

"Well, you got me all hot and bothered, so why are you surprised?" Mac snapped, but with no heat behind it. "You're not the only one turned on by all of this."

"Oh yeah? You are too, huh?" Jack pushed forward almost agonizingly slowly, his forearms braced on either side of Mac's head. "Why don't you tell me exactly how hot this makes you?" He groaned once he was fully sheathed in Mac's body. "Since you're still talking and all."

"I'm... getting a feeling you want me to shut up," Mac groaned, wrapping both legs around Jack's waist. "So why don't you make me?"

Jack's face was buried in his neck and he growled against his skin. When he lifted his head to look at Mac his eyes were dark with lust, and Mac couldn't help but moan loudly when Jack pressed their lips together in a hard kiss, his hips grinding into him at the same time.

Mac had heard of people in long term relationships getting bored with each other, especially sexually, but he could honestly never see that happening with Jack. He knew _exactly_ what buttons to push to drive Mac wild, and the whole feral dominance thing was a big one. Mac gasped as Jack drew his hips back and thrusted forward again, knocking into Mac's prostate on his first try and making him see stars.

He cried out a little, his fingers tightening around the ribbon, and he squeezed Jack's body with his legs, thrusting up as much as he could. Jack groaned when Mac clenched around him and he slid one arm under his back to hold him closer as he picked up the pace. His thrusts got harder too and Jack buried his face in Mac's throat, panting and grunting against his skin as he stared fucking him in earnest.

"Oh god, Jack, fuck," Mac exclaimed, surrounded by Jack's heat and scent, loving every second of it. Maybe it made him a little bit of a slut, but there was honestly nowhere else he would rather be. He _howled_ when Jack hit his prostate again, so hard it was painful, but he wasn't able to come - and he would have on that thrust even though it was embarrassingly early. "Please, Jack, _please_ -"

"Fuck, you beg so pretty," Jack mumbled, nipping at his throat before licking over the skin. "You wanna come, baby? Tell me how much you want it."

"S-so bad," Mac stuttered out, whimpering when Jack grinding forward, the head of his cock drilling into his prostate. "Please, I- I need to come, please-"

"Okay, okay, hang on," Jack said near his ear, voice dropping to that low rumble that Mac loved. He thrusted in and out of him shallowly as one hand untied the ribbon around his cock. He started jacking Mac slowly in time with his movements, pulling back to look him in the eye. "Come for me."

Mac's breath hitched, the intensity of Jack's gaze making him flush. Trembling, he couldn't look away, moaning when Jack's hand started moving faster, matching his harder thrusts, and Mac was so close he could taste it. It only took a moment longer for him to fall over the edge and he came with a loud shout, his back arching as he spilled over his abs and Jack's hand.

"Jesus," Jack whispered, reverence in his voice that Mac never thought he deserved, not completely. He leaned down and kissed Mac's slack lips, hips stilling along with his hand, and when he let go of Mac's cock he broke the kiss to lick his fingers. "Shit, you even taste good. How do you do that?"

Mac's chest moved up and down rapidly, and he blinked a few times, trying to get his brain to work. "N-natural talent?" he eventually replied once he caught his breath, his voice stuttering. He smiled when Jack snorted and then he clenched around Jack's rock hard cock, still buried deep inside him. "Come on, big guy. Want you to fill me up."

Jack groaned like Mac hit him and he got both arms around him this time, hiding his face once again in Mac's neck. He started fucking him hard and fast, with no purpose other than finding his own release, and a couple of particularly sharp thrusts led to Jack letting out a broken cry of Mac's name and coming hard. Hot stickiness flooded into him and Mac moaned with it, tugging on his restraints. His arms ached a little, but it was nothing Mac couldn't handle and it made everything so much more intense. Jack's hips kept twitching erratically and he whimpered softly against Mac's skin, thrusting into him a few more times before he finally stilled, collapsing on top of Mac.

They stayed like that for a moment before Jack reached up with clumsy fingers and untied Mac's wrists. He lifted his head a second later, mouthing at Mac's jaw before he kissed him on the lips. "That was incredible," he murmured, a hand stroking down Mac's side. "You okay?"

Mac forced his arms to work and wrapped them around Jack's shoulders. "Of course I am," he replied, hugging Jack close and kissing him again. It was lazy and slow, and Mac felt warm all over and completely safe, the way he only ever felt when he was with Jack. "Was it everything you wanted? Or was your fantasy better?"

Jack chuckled. "Baby, you're better than any fantasy I could have," he said, nuzzling at his cheek. He was still hard inside Mac but there was no urgency in his relaxed muscles or the way he was touching Mac's skin. "So yeah, it was everything I wanted and more."

"Good," Mac murmured, running his left hand up and down Jack's back. He had put his wedding ring back on in the van, as had Jack (punching someone with a ring on your finger was never a good idea), so now he made sure to press the ring against Jack's back, knowing he loved feeling the cool metal against his skin.

Jack shuddered under his touch, nipping Mac's earlobe and nosing at his pulse. He made a surprised sound when Mac rolled them over, sitting up in Jack's lap and pushing the tail end of the Santa hat out of his face. "What, you figured I was done?" he asked, grinning as he ground himself down on Jack's cock. "Keep up, old man."

"Watch... who you're calling old," Jack gasped, his hands sliding up Mac's thighs. "Fuck, I think- I think you riding me while wearing that hat might be even hotter than me tying you up."

"Oh yeah?" Mac grinned again. "Is it hotter than me riding you and wearing a cowboy hat? Because I remember how that got you going, it was the only time I made you come five times." His grin turned sly. "Other than our wedding night."

Jack smacked Mac's thigh in response to that, then grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "You make it sound like I'm the only one who enjoyed himself," he rumbled out, hands moving to squeeze Mac's ass cheeks, feeling where they were joined together. "As I recall you were crying and begging for me all night long, both times."

"I was," Mac agreed because there was no point in denying it. "But can you blame me? If I could I'd climb you like a tree all the time."

"I don't see a problem with that," Jack mumbled, pressing his fingers against Mac's entrance, stretched around his cock. "Feel free to do that whenever you please."

"Blanket permission? Nice." Mac planted his hands on Jack's chest for leverage and started rocking his hips back and forth. His own cock twitched with interest, slowly getting back in the game. "You should know that goes both ways. I would've let you fuck me in that elevator earlier."

"Oh Jesus," Jack groaned, his head falling back on the pillow as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That would be so fucking hot."

"Mhmm, yeah," Mac mused, clenching around Jack's cock and smiling when he moaned. "The possibility of getting caught... never thought I'd be into that, but now I think I would."

"That... isn't something I thought I liked either," Jack told him, hands squeezing Mac's hips now, leaving bruises in his wake. "But with you I'm pretty sure I'm into anything." He started thrusting up to meet Mac's downward motions, and soon they were rocking together and Mac could tell Jack was close again.

He dug his fingernails into Jack's chest, clenching around him every time he slammed his hips down. He was determined to make Jack come first this time even though his entire body felt like it was on fire and every time Jack's cock hit his prostate he almost fell over the edge. "Come on, babe," he gritted out, bouncing up and down in Jack's lap. "I know you want this, you wanna fill me up again-"

"Shit," Jack barked, and then he was grabbing Mac and rolling them over again. He pushed Mac's legs up toward his chest and plowed into him, nailing his prostate and making him scream. They came almost simultaneously, more heat flooding inside Mac's body, and this time Jack went soft even as he continued to grind forward aimlessly.

He let out those high and desperate whimpers, so Mac let his legs drop to the mattress and he wrapped his arms around Jack, shushing him quietly. He soothingly rubbed his spine up and down with one hand, turning his head enough to press a kiss to Jack's temple. "You good, babe?" he murmured against his skin. "Jack?"

Jack nodded hesitantly, a shuddering sigh escaping him. "I'm... I'm good," he said hoarsely. "Just... I love you so much. And I'm so glad we're here together." He squeezed Mac a little tighter even as he shifted to pull out of him. "Merry Christmas, baby."

Mac smiled widely, sliding his hand to the back of Jack's neck and pulling him in for a sweet kiss. "Merry Christmas, Jack," he whispered against his lips, unable to stop grinning. "And I love you too, obviously." He tugged the Santa hat off his head and tossed it aside, shaking his head when hair got into his eyes. "I was thinking... is there anything special you'd like to do for our anniversary?"

"Hmm... well, I'd like to do you, many times, but that's probably obvious," Jack said, smiling when Mac pinched his side. "Other than that... I might have already booked us a little getaway to Tahoe. Figured it might be nice to see some snow, maybe do some skiing... and go back to our private cabin when we get too cold."

"Really?" Mac grinned even wider, kissing Jack again. "That sounds awesome. It's been a while since I went skiing." He nipped on Jack's chin. "And you doing me also sounds great."

"Yeah, I figured, about both things," Jack replied, rolling until they were on their sides, facing each other. "On the actual day of our anniversary we could drink some champagne, eat something nice... and we're turning our phones off for the entire trip."

Mac raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?" When Jack nodded, Mac punched his shoulder lightly. "Jack Dalton, are you suggesting we go rogue? And not in the way that I did where I suffocated some of our friends?"

"Yep," Jack replied, pecking him on the lips. "And I happen to know that Dez and Riles are going to see Diane for New Year’s... not sure what everybody else is doing, but I don't really care."

"You know what? Me neither," Mac said, leaning into Jack's touch when he brushed his fingers over his hair. "What about your family, though? We used to always go to Texas after Christmas."

"Already talked to mama, she's cool with it," Jack murmured. "As long as we visit in January or February."

Mac smiled. "Maybe for Valentine's Day?"

"That sounds perfect, baby," Jack said, his expression soft and affectionate in a way that a select few people got to see. "I'm sure the family would like to see us, even if we do gross couple stuff while we're there."

"We always do that," Mac pointed out, contentment washing over him. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me neither, baby," Jack murmured, pulling him in for the sweetest kiss. "Me neither."

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed the fic ♥


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